Harry Potter, Ghost Prince
by RusEmp
Summary: Four years old Harry had enough. Dursleys hated and abused him, so he ran away. Who knew that Harry would stumble upon wandering Ghost King?
1. Prologue

A.N. Yes, some may think I took the story "Gypsy child" and rephrased it a bit. Yes, I took lines for prologue, but only for it. I'm sure the rest would be drastically different.

It was a cold night in Little Whinging, England. So cold that you could actually see your breath, despite it being only October.

People rested peacefully in their beds, enjoying sweet dreams. Besides one, maybe. A little boy was sitting on a bench. His black hair were hiding his tear strained face. His clothes didn't fit it's name. They were too big for the boy, and looked more like rags, and, speaking truthfully, they were.

Young child never noticed the man, who wasn't far away. The man, however, looked at him with curiosity, wondering what the boy was doing in the park at such time.

The man looked better than him. He was dressed in black and white clothes, which shimmered under moonlight. It wasn't proper attire for cold climate, but he hadn't seemed to bother. The man had striking white hair, with a few small black streaks, tied in a ponytail. It didn't seem right with the mess, which was the rest of his haircut. He had mismatched eyes, one of them having the coldest shade of blue, another was neon green, which seemed to glow in the dead of night. In his hand the man twirled black cane.

He finally decided to walk to this interesting boy.

The boy looked up, hearing steady stomping of the feet nearby. He saw the man, who smiled at him kindly. This action confused the boy. No one looked at him like that before. Sure, there was this old lady Mrs. Figg, but that was more a look of pity, than genuine kindness and care. The man was different, and that confused the child.

The man then sat on another bench, deciding against rapid approach, not wanting to scare him off. This confused the boy even more. He was wary of the stranger, but, as it often happens, curiosity won. The boy walked quietly to the man, looking at his hair, white as snow. No, even snow will pale to compete with it. He touched it.

The man's left eye snapped open, making the boy jump slightly in surprise. He smiled at the child near him, who looked like a kid, who was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. The man chuckled.

"Soo," he said, his voice soft and playful, "do you like my hair?" The man had an amused smirk on his face, making the boy flush in embarassment. The smirk later turned into gentle smile again.

He slowly stood up, the boy looked at him, silently. He did like his uncle always said, stay silent unless you are spoken to. The man went away. And the boy followed close behind.

The man heard the footsteps behind him and chuckled inwardly. The boy was curious and reckless, just like him when he was a child. But then a grim thought came to his mind. The boy didn't look like he had what you call 'healthy childhood'. The boy was thin, that much was obvious. There were a different ways how he would grow up, and almost all of them didn't have happy ending.

Then the man stopped on a little hill and sat on the grass. The boy was still following him. So, he got attention of the agitated little guy, huh. The man dug in his pockets and took out a chocolate bar.

"Do you want some?" He offered.

The boy was surprised, so he didn't take it right after offering. He saw many times how his cousin ate hundreds of them, but he never shared with him, shooing him away. Finally, the boy took a few little squares and ate them. Now he understood why Dudley ate so much. Chocolate was delicious.

He looked at the man, who was smiling at the boy's joyful expression. And the boy understood something. He liked this kind man. The boy then looked at his scarred and burned hands. He realized that he wanted to feel this kindness every day.

"Do you know why I'm here?" The man asked. The boy shook his head, before the man pointed at the sky.

"I always liked space, all this stars, comets, constellations. So, I'm just coming here from time to time to stargaze"

The man then told his small companion about space. He told about basical things, but did it so interesting, that the boy couldn't help but listen with huge attention, lying on the man's chest.

It was morning already, and the sun was rising above surrounding buildings. The man got up slowly. The boy looked at him and felt strange fluttering in his chest. He remembered what he had been thinking this night. How cold, but at the same time warm he felt near the man. He looked at his red hands then back at the man. His small scarred fist clenched painfully. He nodded determiningly.

The boy went to the man and tugged his shirt slightly. The man looked at him.

"My..." he said slowly.

He tried to speak again, losing his confidence. But he regained it when the man lowered himself down on the boy's eye level.

"...my name is Harry"

The child said it in soft voice. The man knew what the child wanted, he saw it in the boy's green eyes.

"I'm Danny. Danny Phantom"

Harry looked confused at his last name. Danny smiled in understanding.

"Phantom is a name I made for myself. Since I look like a ghost, bewaare," he wriggled his fingers, making Harry giggle.

The boy then looked thoughtful, rubbing his foot about grass. Phantom raised his eyebrow, waiting for Harry to speak.

"I want...to come with you...to have a home...with you...as my family"

Harry looked at the stunned man that he wanted to stay with. He didn't want to return to that cold place, back to Dursleys. Danny couldn't find any proper words. The boy knew him only for a few hours and trusted him so much already. More than that, he wants him to be...his father.

"I...well," Danny looked at Harry. His sad and pleading, but still full of conviction, look. Harry wanted a parent so badly.

"Alright, I'll be your family, little guy"

At this words Harry Potter smiled.


	2. Chapter I: Letters

"Wake up, bro!" Girl's shout was heard.

Harry rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it. He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream before. The door opened and the girl walked in. She had green eyes, but they were much brighter than Harry's, her white hair were tied in ponitail. She wasn't much older than Harry, a few days, actually. She pouted at her adoptive brother's sleeping form.

"C'mon, Harry," she tried to pull him out of bed, "Mommy said we wouldn't go to the zoo until you wake up!"

"Ellie, I'm up," Harry deadpanned. Looking behind she noticed that he was standing now. She blushed green.

"Alrighty then," Ellie said, trying to change the topic, "everyone is in the kitchen," she ran out of the room.

Harry shook his head and dressed up. He took on T-shirt with blue and white stripes, blue jeans. When he was dressed he went down the hall into the kitchen.

Near the frying pan was standing a woman. She looked young, especially for a mother of two eleven years old kids. She had pale skin and green eyes. The most interesting thing was her hair. They were bright blue. She saw Harry and smirked.

"Morning, sleepyhead"

"Morning, mom," Harry said, sitting at the table. His father was sitting nearby, his face hidden by newspaper, with his legs on the table. Danny greeted Harry as well. His wife put the plates on the table, then hit him slightly on the head with tea spoon.

"Ouch! What was that for, Em?" Danny asked, rubbing sore place. Kids snickered.

"Legs off," Ember smirked.

At that moment the telephone rang and Danny went to answer it. The rest of the family was eating, Ellie being the most eager of all. She liked zoo. Danny walked in, looking angry.

"What is it, Danny?" Ember asked.

"Walker," he growled, shaking his head, "sometimes I think he lets prisoners out willingly"

"Maybe he does," Harry said.

"Even if he hates me, he can't do it," Danny responded, "it's against his obsession, after all"

Just then the doorbell rang.

"Oh, I'll open!" Ellie said and ran to the door.

A moment later, Ellie's best friend Mabel walked in. It wasn't surprise to anyone that they got along, too much similarities in character. Her brother, however, was too nosy in Danny's opinion.

Harry was worried. The problem was, strange things often happened around him.

Once, some clumsy barber made a horrible haircut to him. Harry spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day. Next morning, however, he had gotten up to find his hair exactly as it had been before barber had sheared it off.

Another time, Ember bought him a new sweater. But the harder Harry tried the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry.

But today, nothing was going to go wrong.

While he drove, Danny talked with his wife. About a lot of things, but rephrased, since there was non-family member. Suddenly motorcycle overtook them.

"...one day it will end badly," Danny said.

"I had a dream about a motorcycle," said Harry, remembering suddenly, "It was flying"

"Well, dreams are weird," Ellie said, shrugging.

It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. Every member of the group bought ice cream. It is nice, Harry thought, licking his chocolate one as they watched a gorilla scratching its head who looked remarkably like his cousin, except that it wasn't blond. Harry wondered for a second about Dursleys, but then shook his head.

After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Ellie quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around their car and crushed it into a trash can, but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep.

Girls and adults stood by the side, while Harry still stood there, looking at sleeping predator.

"Make it move," he suddenly heard whiny voice. Harry glanced by the side and saw the people he hoped never to see. His cousin had a large pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head. Near him was Harry's uncle Vernon, who looked similar. Harry didn't want to turn to them. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge.

"Do it again," Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.

"This is boring," Dudley moaned and tapped on the glass again.

"It sleeps!" Harry snapped, turning to them. The look of recognition crossed their faces.

"What are you doing here?" Vernon barked. Harry shrugged.

"Family trip," he said. Dursleys laughed.

"You think that wearing stolen clothes will make us believe that? Like anyone would want you," Vernon said. Harry felt a huge wave of anger. What happened next surprised everyone. Dudley, who was leaning on the glass, fell through it.

Harry gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished. The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits.

As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, "Brazil, here I come... Thanksss, amigo"

"What have you done, pest?!" Vernon tried to grab Harry, but was stopped by the black cane on his way. Turning around, he saw a man about twenty years old, with white hair and mismatched eyes.

"May I ask, what rights do you have to insult my son?" He said.

"Y-your s-son?" Vernon stuttered, looking at Harry, while Petunia tried to get Dudley out. He suddenly felt fear, which seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"Yes," Danny responded, "now what happened here?"

"This...kid made the glass di-dissappear!" Vernon said.

"Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?" Harry choked his laugh. Dursleys hated everything unusual, so much that they hadn't even talked about it.

"Harry!" Ember exclaimed, hugging her son and searching for any wounds, "are you alright?"

"Mom, I'm fine," Harry said. Danny sighed.

"Then I guess it's time to go," he said. Vernon's fear dissappeared the second eldest Phantom turned his back to him, "it's late enough, anyway"

-Lateer-

The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor wasn't discussed. Harry's parents haven't asked anything, and he hasn't said anything. He was too busy thinking about it. Harry only told his sister, but she had no idea about it as well. Summer holidays had started.

There was a horrible smell in the kitchen one morning when Harry went in for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a frying pan. He went to have a look. The pan was full of something black.

"What's this?" he asked. Danny turned to him.

"That was supposed to be breakfast," Danny said.

Harry looked in the pan again.

"I appreciate your trying," Ember said, coming from behind, "but let someone more professional handle it," she smirked and threw the contents in the trash can, before planting a kiss on his cheek.

Danny sat at the table and opened his newspaper as usual and Ellie sat near with her whistle on her neck, which she carried everywhere.

They heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat.

"Get the mail, Ellie," said Danny from behind his paper.

"Let Harry get it,"

"Get the mail, Harry"

"Let Ellie get it"

"Then go both"

They went to get the mail, mumbling something about each other. Four things lay on the doormat: bill, a postcard from Danny's sister Jazz and...letters for Harry and Ellie.

They looked at each other, then at the letters.

Mr. H. Potter

The room on the first floor

235 Coldharbour Lane

Brixton

London

Ellie had the same letter, only with her name and room on it. The envelopes was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp.

Turning the envelope over, they saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter H.

They went back to the kitchen, still staring at their letters. Harry handed Danny the bill and the postcard, sat down, and slowly began to open the yellow envelopes.

Danny ripped open the bill, put it away and flipped over the postcard.

"Jazz is ill," he informed Ember, "probably ate something wrong..."

His eyes then fell on his kids. He looked curiously at the envelopes.

"May I have a look?" Danny asked. Harry showed his letter. His father's eyes widened.

"How the heck do they know where you sleep?" He looked at the window and shook his head, handling the letter back. Harry read it aloud.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall,

Deputy Headmistress

Danny looked at the letter funnily, "They still use owls? Poor things"

Questions exploded inside Harry's head like fireworks and he couldn't decide which to ask first. After a few minutes he stammered, "What does it mean, they await my owl?"

"That's how wizards communicate with each other," Ember said, rolling her eyes.

"But that means..." Ellie started.

"We are wizards?" Harry finished. His parents nodded.

"Yes, you are right. Nor me, nor your father are, sadly. But, we are still aware about existence of magic. And," she looked at her husband, "We were waiting for a proper moment to tell you. The fact that Ellie can do magic makes the situation even better," Ember smiled.

"Harry, how much do you know about your birth parents?"

"Not much, Dursleys told me they died in a car crash..."

"They lied, of course," Danny said, "It begins, I suppose, with a person called Voldemort"

"Wizards are afraid to call him by name, which is stupid. Anyway, this wizard, about twenty years ago now, started looking for followers. Got them, too, some were afraid, some just wanted a bit of his power, 'cause he was getting himself power, all right. Dark days, Harry. Didn't know who to trust, didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches... terrible things happened. He was taking over. 'Course, some stood up to him, and he killed them. Horribly. We didn't anticipate in it, we had troubles of our own"

"Maybe Voldemort thought he could persuade your parents... maybe he just wanted them outta the way. All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Halloween ten years ago. You was just a year old. He came ter yer house and...well, you can guess what happened"

"He killed them. And then, and this is the real mystery of the thing, he tried to kill you, too. Wanted to make a clean job of it, I suppose, or maybe he just liked killing by then. But he couldn't do it. Never wondered how you got that mark on your forehead? That was no ordinary cut. That's what you get when a powerful, evil curse touches you, took care of your mom and dad and your house, even. But it didn't work on you, and that's why you are famous, Harry. No one ever lived after he decided to kill them, no one except you, my boy," Danny finished the story.

Something very painful was going on in Harry's mind. As Danny's story came to a close, he saw again the blinding flash of green light, more clearly than he had ever remembered it before...and he remembered something else, for the first time in his life: a high, cold, cruel laugh.

"But what happened to Voldemort?" Ellie asked.

"Good question, honey. Disappeared. Vanished. Same night he tried to kill him. Makes Harry even more famous. That's the biggest mystery, see... he was getting more and more powerful...why'd he go?

"Some say he died. Rubbish, in my opinion. I'm King of Dead, I sure would know if he did. He is still somewhere, too weak to do something"

"So, we are going to magical school?" Ellie asked.

"Yep"

"But where are we going to get..."

"Oh, you will see"


	3. Chapter II: Diagon Alley

"Kids! It's time to go!" Danny shouted.

Harry walked out of his room, and was surprised at what he saw. His father was wearing strange black clothes and cape with white insides. Ember was wearing black dress. Danny knew what Harry was thinking about.

"I just thought that we should blend in," he said, "these ones are for ya," Danny gestured to the clothes on the back of an armchair. Harry took them on and they felt way better than he was expecting. Ellie ran down, wearing the same ones.

"Okay, let's depart!"

They walked for some time on the road, but Harry had too much questions.

"Dad, you didn't take any money," he said.

"That's why we are visiting Gringotts first," his mother answered, "'The safest bank in the world'," she then deadpanned.

"By the way, have you read your list of requirements?" Danny asked. Harry looked confused.

"It was in the parchment," Ellie explained. He took out the letter and sure enough, there was a list.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL o f WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1\. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2\. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3\. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4\. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set of glass or crystal phials

1 telescope set

1 brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

"Can we buy all this in London?" Harry wondered aloud.

"If you know where to go," said Danny.

They passed book shops and music stores, hamburger restaurants and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand. This was just an ordinary street full of ordinary people. Could there really be piles of wizard gold buried miles beneath them? Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks?

"This is it," said Danny, coming to a halt, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place"

It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. If Danny hadn't pointed it out, Harry wouldn't have noticed it was there. The people hurrying by didn't glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big book shop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all. In fact, Harry had the most peculiar feeling that only he and his family could see it. Before he could mention this, they walked inside.

For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut. The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Bartender reached for a glass, saying, "Would you like something, sir?"

"Maybe later, " Danny responded.

"Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at Harry, "is this...can this be..."

The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent.

"Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Harry Potter... what an honor"

He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Harry and seized his hand, tears in his eyes.

"Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back"

Harry didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at him. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out.

Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Harry found himself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron.

"Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last"

"So proud, Mr. Potter, I'm just so proud"

"Always wanted to shake your hand...I'm all of a flutter"

"Delighted, Mr. Potter, just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle"

"I've seen you before!" said Harry, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off in his excitement, "You bowed to me once in a shop"

"He remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone, "Did you hear that? He remembers me!" Harry shook hands again and again...Doris Crockford kept coming back for more.

"Should we help him?" Ember whispered.

"Waaait...okay, it's time," Danny said and walked near Harry, "Alright, that's enough, folks, we still need to get supplies for my kids," he started to carry his son out, leaving shocked crowd behind. Danny led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.

Danny grinned at Harry.

"Told ya, didn't I? You are famous"

"Now, I'm jealous," Ellie joked.

Harry's head was swimming. Danny, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the trash can.

"Three up... two across... " he muttered, "Right, stand back, guys"

He tapped the wall three times with the point of his cane.

The brick he had touched quivered, it wriggled, in the middle, a small hole appeared, it grew wider and wider, a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.

"Welcome," said Danny, "to Diagon Alley"

He grinned at Harry's amazement. They stepped through the archway. Harry looked quickly over his shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall.

The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons - All Sizes - Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver - Self-Stirring - Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them.

A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium -Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy. Several boys of about Harry's age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. "Look," Harry heard one of them say, "the new Nimbus Two Thousand...fastest ever..." There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Harry had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon...

"Gringotts," said Danny.

They had reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was...

"That's a goblin," said Ember quietly as they walked up the white stone steps toward him. The goblin was about a head shorter than Harry. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, Harry noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:

Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed,

For those who take, but do not earn,

Must pay most dearly in their turn.

So if you seek beneath our floors

A treasure that was never yours,

Thief, you have been warned, beware

Of finding more than treasure there.

Danny snorted. He doubted they could keep him out.

A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Phantoms made it to the counter.

"Morning," said Danny to a free goblin, "Daniel Phantom wants to make a withdrawal"

"You have your key, sir?"

"Where was it?" He started to dig in his pockets.

"Got it," said Danny at last, holding up a green key with a skull.

The goblin looked at it closely and gasped. He knew who this vault belonged to before.

"V-very well," goblin said, "I will have s-someone take you down to t-the vault. Griphook!"

Griphook was yet another goblin.They followed Griphook toward one of the doors leading off the hall.

Griphook held the door open for them. Harry, who had expected more marble, was surprised. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in and were off.

At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Harry tried to remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, but it was impossible. The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering.

Harry's eyes stung as the cold air rushed past them, but he kept them wide open. Once, he thought he saw a burst of fire at the end of a passage and twisted around to see if it was a dragon, but too late, they plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.

"I never know," Harry called to Danny over the noise of the cart, "what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?"

"Stalagmite grow from upside, stalactites from the bottom. Or was it other way?"

He did look very green, and when the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Danny got out and had to lean against the wall to stop his knees from trembling.

"Yahoo! Let's do it again!" Ellie shouted.

Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Harry gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.

"Hm, impressive," Danny said. He grabbed a little of everything.

"The gold ones are Galleons," he explained. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, I know, it's difficult. Right, that should be enough fer a couple of terms, we'll keep the rest safe for ya."

One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Harry didn't know where to run first now that he had a bag full of money.

"Alright, I'm offering to split up," Danny said, receiving nods from the others.

-Lateer-

Ember and Ellie were in one group. Their first stop was to buy robes.

Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.

"Hogwarts, dear?" she said, looking at Ellie, when Ember started to speak, "Got the lot here, another young man being fitted up just now, in fact."

In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Ellie on a stool next to him slipped a long robe over his head, and began to pin it to the right length.

"Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts, too?"

"Yep," said Ellie.

"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice, "Then I'm going to drag them off to took at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow"

"Have you got your own broom?" the boy went on.

"Noope," said Ellie, smiling mysteriously. Who needs broom when you can fly?

"Play Quidditch at all?"

"No," Ellie said again, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be.

"I do, Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?"

"Dunno"

"Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been...imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" She snickered.

"Dad hates badgers," said Ellie. The boy misinterpreted the meaning, thinking about house members, not animals.

"Where are your parents?"

"Mom is waiting outdoors. Dad and my brother Harry went to buy something else"

"But they are our kind, aren't they?"

"They are a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean," said Ellie. Cover story.

"I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. What's your name, anyway?"

"Phantom, Danielle Phantom," she smiled.

"I haven't heard about such family before," he said a bit suspiciously. Ellie shrugged.

"Dad's family is old, we just haven't lived here for a very long time. As for Mom, well, she has a history as well"

"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said the drawling boy.

Ellie nodded. Most people would avoid such kind of person. But she has too trusting nature.

-Later-

"Daddy, what's Quidditch?" Ellie asked. They were currently walking on the street, eating ice cream.

"It's Wizard sport. It's like...like soccer...everyone here follows Quidditch. Played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls, sorta hard to explain the rules."

"And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"

"School houses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot of duffers, but..."

"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff," said Harry gloomily.

"Honey, don't talk like that," said Ember, hugging him slightly.

Danny wouldn't let Harry buy a solid gold cauldron ("It says pewter on yout list"), but they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Then they visited the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages. For Harry. The rest of the family had too sensitive noses.

The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window. Danny left somewhere.

A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Ember sat on to wait. Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library; he swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of his neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.

"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Harry and Ellie jumped.

An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.

"Hello," said Harry awkwardly.

"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter." It wasn't a question. "You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work"

Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Harry wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.

"Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it - it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."

Mr. Ollivander had come so close that he and Harry were almost nose to nose. Harry could see himself reflected in those misty eyes.

"And that's where..."

Mr. Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Harry's forehead with a long, white finger.

"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands... well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do..."

He shook his head and then, to Harry's relief, spotted Ellie.

"And who you might be, young lady?"

"Oh, Danielle Phantom, sir"

"Hmm," said Mr. Ollivander, "Well, now...Ms. Phantom. Let me see," He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"

"Er...well, I'm right-handed," said Ellie.

"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured her from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round her head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Ms. Phantom. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."

Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.

"That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Ms. Phantom. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. just take it and give it a wave."

Ellie took the wand and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of her hand almost at once.

"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try..."

Ellie tried, but she had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander.

"No, no. Maybe this...Blackthorn and thestrial hair. Eight inches"

Ellie waved and green light filled the room.

"Magnificent!" Mr. Ollivander shouted, "Now, Mr. Potter," he said, giving a few wands to try.

Harry raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. Mr. Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well... how curious... how very curious..."

He put Harry's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious... curious...

"Sorry," said Harry, "but what's curious?"

Mr. Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale stare.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather...just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother ...why, its brother gave you that scar."

Harry swallowed.

"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember... I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter... After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things...terrible, yes, but great."

Harry shivered. He wasn't sure he liked Mr. Ollivander too much. Ember came closer.

"How much for them?"

"Fourteen galleons..."

Danny was outside, grinning, with hands behind his back.

"What is that you are hiding?" Harry asked.

"Well...your birthday is coming, so I decided to get you a little present"

He removed from behind his back a metal cage. There was a beautiful owl with pearly white feathers. Harry beamed and took the cage from his father, excited.

"Soo, little guy needs a name," Danny smiled.

"Hm, how about Hedwig?" Harry said. The owl cooed it's agreement.

The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Phantoms made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, to the Leaky Cauldron, where they decided to eat. It was less crowded than before.

Harry kept looking around. Everything looked so strange, somehow.

"You all right, Harry? You are very quiet," said Ember.

Harry wasn't sure he could explain.

"Everyone thinks I'm special," he said at last. "All those people here, Mr. Ollivander... but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can't even remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what happened when Voldemort," gasps around the room, "killed my parents"

"Don't worry so much, Harry," Danny smiled at him, "You will learn everything you need in Hogwarts. Let's just hope, that you wouldn't need to fight Pariah at the age of fourteen, like your old man," people gaped at him in shock.

He just needed to jinx that.

A.N. Rule number one of DP universe. Watch your mouth.


	4. Chapter III: Train

Harry's last month of summer wasn't fun. Mostly because of all anticipation and boredom. Harry kept to his room, with his new owl for company. He had decided to call her Hedwig, a name he had found in A History of Magic. His school books were very interesting. He lay on his bed reading late into the night, Hedwig swooping in and out of the open window as she pleased. Danny complained about feathers and dead mices she kept bringing, since it was HIS job to clean this part of house. Harry often laughed because of how ridiculous that sounds: "King of Dead cleans after owl".

Harry woke at five o'clock at 1'st September and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep. He got up and pulled on his jeans because he didn't want to walk into the station in his wizard's robes, he'd change on the train. He checked his Hogwarts list yet again to make sure he had everything he needed, saw that Hedwig was shut safely in her cage, and then paced the room, waiting for the rest of the family to get up. Some time later Ellie phased into his room.

"What, can't sleep as well?"

"Yep"

Two hours later, their huge, heavy trunks had been loaded into the car.

They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Danny put kids' trunks onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for them.

"Well, there we are, kids. Platform nine, platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?"

He was quite right, of course. There was a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it, and in the middle, nothing at all. Ember smacked her husband slightly on the back.

"That's simple, look," she gestured to the plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like theirs in front of him, and they had an owl.

"Now, what's the platform number?" said the boys' mother.

"Nine and three-quarters!" piped a small girl, also red-headed, who was holding her hand, "Mom, can't I go..."

"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."

What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten. Harry watched, careful not to blink in case he missed it, but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.

"Fred, you next," the plump woman said.

"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"

"Sorry, George, dear."

"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went. His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so, because a second later, he had gone. Danny snickered. Nice one.

"All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous," Ember said, "And Ellie, no intangibility," Danny added.

"Er...okay," they said.

Harry pushed his trolley around and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid.

He started to walk toward it. People jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more quickly. He was going to smash right into that barrier and then he'd be in trouble. Leaning forward on his cart, he broke into a heavy run. The barrier was coming nearer and nearer. He wouldn't be able to stop. The cart was out of control. He was a foot away. He closed his eyes ready for the crash...

It didn't come... he kept on running... he opened his eyes. A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts' Express, eleven o'clock. Harry looked behind him and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it, He had done it.

Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks. He didn't have a time to look around, because of crash which followed next.

"Oops!" Ellie said, smiling guiltily. Harry should have walked out of the way.

Family pressed on through the crowd until they found an empty compartment near the end of the train. Harry put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave his trunk toward the train door. Danny helped him with it and then lifted Ellie's trunk easily, as if it was a feather.

"Alright, guys," he said, "you are on your own now"

"Bye, kids," Ember said, kissing Harry and Ellie on a forehead, "write back at least twice a month"

Danny hugged his children too and Ellie started to carry her trunk. Harry stood on the place.

"Harry, what's wrong?" He asked worryingly.

"What if I will be in Slytherin?" Harry said, "All dark wizards come from there," Danny smiled softly.

"Don't worry about it, kiddo. There are good guys, too, I'm sure. And if you will be in that house," he shrugged, "then you will just prove other people wrong"

Harry hugged his father again in farewell and followed his sister. They sat in empty apartment. The train began to move. Harry saw his parents waving at them.

Harry watched them disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Harry felt a great leap of excitement.

The door of the compartment slid open and the redheaded boy came in.

"Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Harry. "Everywhere else is full."

"Nope, only us," Ellie answered.

The boy sat down. He glanced at Harry and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked.

"Hey, Ron"

The twins were standing in the doorway.

"Listen, we're going down the middle of the train - Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."

"Cool," Ellie said. Harry looked at her.

"Ellie, DON'T"

"What," she pouted, "I'm just saying!"

"Last time you 'just said' and I spent an hour in shower," Harry deadpanned. Twins laughed.

"What was it?" Asked one twin. Harry looked at his sister, daring her to say the word.

"Anyways, did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then"

The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.

"Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out.

Harry nodded.

"Oh...well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And have you really got...you know..."

He pointed at Harry's forehead.

Harry pulled back his bangs to show the lightning scar. Ron stared.

"So that's where You-Know-Who..."

"Yes," said Harry, "but I can't remember it"

"Nothing?" said Ron eagerly.

"Well, I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else"

"Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at Harry for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again.

"Are all your family wizards?" asked Harry, who found Ron just as interesting as Ron found him.

"Er...Yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."

"So you must know loads of magic already."

"I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron, "What are they like?" Harry shook his head.

"They were horrible. I ran away when I was four," Ron looked at him wide eyed.

"But where do you..."

"He lives with us!" Ellie said, hugging her brother, "Daddy met him long ago and he is my lil' bro now," Harry looked at her.

"You are only five days older than me"

"So?" She shrugged.

"And...what are your parents like?" Ron asked.

"Dad is governmental figure," Ellie snickered, "Not here, though. He is very nice and childish most of the time. I have seen him angry, but never mad. Mom told me about one time he was. She said it was the most scary thing she had ever seen," Harry said, making Ron wonder.

"Mom is very nice too. Her name is Amberlin, but she hates it, so Dad calls her Ember. She loves music and she and Dad often banter with each other, but he is an ultimate champion. They once told us that there was a time when they tried to kill each other..."

"Why?" Ron asked. Siblings looked at each other.

"Let's just say, Mom has a questionable past. They got along as the time went. So, what about you?"

"I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left -- Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat"

Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was asleep.

"His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff... I mean, I got Scabbers instead"

Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.

Harry didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. He told Ron so, all about having to wear Dudley's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents, when he lived with them. This seemed to cheer Ron up, selfish soul.

"... and until Mom and Dad told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort..."

Ron gasped.

"What?" said Harry.

"You said You-Know-Who's name!" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people..."

"It's just a name," Ellie said, "It cannot kill or maim...oh, it can be an awesome song!"

While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.

Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"

Harry and Ellie leapt to their feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. They went out into the corridor.

They had pockets rattling with gold and silver they werw ready to buy as many Mars Bars as they could carry without parents around, but the woman didn't have Mars Bars. What she did have were Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs. Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things they had never seen in their lives. Not wanting to miss anything, they got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.

Ron stared as Phantom siblings brought it all back in to the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat.

"Hungry, are you?"

"Starving," they said, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty and Licorice Wand.

Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart and said, "She always forgets I don't like corned beef..."

"Swap you for one of these," said Harry, holding up a pasty, "Go on..."

"You don't want this, it's all dry," said Ron. "She hasn't got much time," he added quickly, "you know, with five of us"

"Go on, Ron, have a tasty pasty," said Ellie, taking another bite.

"What are these?" Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not really frogs, are they?" He was starting to feel that nothing would surprise him.

"No," said Ron. "But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa"

"What?"

"Oh, of course, you wouldn't know. Chocolate Frogs have cards, inside them, you know, to collect - famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy"

Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. It showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and mustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.

"So this is Dumbledore!" said Harry.

"Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron. "Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa...thanks..."

Harry turned over his card and read:

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS

Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.

Harry turned the card back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared.

"Hes gawn!" Ellie gasped with her mouth full.

"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Ron. "He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her... do you want it? You can start collecting"

Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be unwrapped.

"Help yourself," said Harry. "But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos."

"Do they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed. "Weird!"

Harry stared as Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his card and gave him a small smile. Ron was more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Harry couldn't keep his eyes off them. Soon he had not only Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, and Merlin. He finally tore his eyes away from the Druidess Cliodna, who was scratching her nose, to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

"You want to be careful with those," Ron warned Harry. "When they say every flavor, they mean every flavor ... you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he had a booger-flavored one once..." He stared in shock at Ellie, who just threw a handle of beans in her mouth, not caring in the slightest.

"She has an iron stomach," Harry explained.

The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills.

There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy came in. He looked tearful.

"Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?"

When they shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"

"He'll turn up," said Ellie.

"Yes," said the boy miserably. "Well, if you see him..."

He left.

"Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk."

The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.

"He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust. "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look..."

He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end.

"Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway..."

He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.

"We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then"

She sat down. Ron looked taken aback.

"Er...all right"

He cleared his throat.

"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,

Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow"

He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed gray and fast asleep. Everyone doubted it was real spell.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl, "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard...I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough...I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"

She said all this very fast. Ellie giggled.

"You are just like Aunty Jazz. 'I've learned all our course books by heart'," Harry smiled as well. Yeah, she sure was.

"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.

"Ellie Phantom"

"Harry Potter," said Harry.

"Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you, of course...I got a few extra books, for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century"

"Am I?" said Harry, feeling dazed.

"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad... Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon"

And she left, taking the toadless boy with her.

"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron. He threw his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell -- George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud"

"What house are your brothers in?" asked Harry.

"Gryffindor," said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin"

"Daddy says it's not so bad," Ellie said, searching for any leftover candy.

"Are you kidding?! All dark wizards came from there, even You-Know-Who!"

"So?"

"You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter," said Harry, trying to take Ron's mind off houses, "So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?"

"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons, and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," said Ron, "Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, someone tried to rob a high security vault"

Harry stared.

"Really? What happened to them?"

"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it"

Ellie and Harry looked at each other. Danny mentioned something about how easy it is for him to break inside.

"What's your Quidditch team?" Ron asked.

"Er...I don't know any," Harry confessed.

"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world... " And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. He was just taking them through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the Toadless Boy, or Hermione Granger this time.

Three boys entered, and Ellie recognized the middle one at once: it was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop. He was looking at Harry with interest.

"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"Yes," said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean and downright stupid. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy"

"Hey Draco!" Ellie waved. Everyone looked at her with surprise.

"Ah, Danielle, was it?" She nodded, "what are you doing here?" Ellie raised an eyebrow.

"I'm going to Hogwarts with my brother," she gestured to Harry. Now it was Draco's turn to stare.

"But how..."

"I was adopted," Harry answered.

Ron gave a slight cough at Draco's confusion, which might have been hiding a snigger. Malfoy looked at him.

"Think it's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford"

He turned back to Harry, "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there"

"That was rude, Draco," Ellie said with glare, read, angry pout.

He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.

"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly.

Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys, and it'll rub off on you"

Both Harry and Ron stood up.

"Say that again," Ron said, his face as red as his hair.

"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.

"Unless you get out now," said Harry.

"But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some"

Goyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron. Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Harry tripped him, making goon fall on the ground. It took others some time to register what happened. Then Crabbe tried to punch him, but Harry grabbed his fist and tripped him as well.

There was a look of shock on Malfoy's face as his bodyguards were taken down so easily. Draco ran away, leaving his 'friends' behind. Ron stared at Harry also in shock.

"How did you do that?!"

"My Dad taught me a few things"

"You've met Malfoy before?" Ron asked.

Ellie explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.

"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side"

A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately"

Harry's stomach lurched with nerves and Ron, he saw, looked pale under his freckles. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"

"C'mon, follow me -- any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, they followed huge man down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," the man called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here"

There was a loud "Oooooh!"

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" The giant called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry, Ellie and Ron were followed into their boat by Hermione.

"Everyone in?" shouted giant, who had a boat to himself. "Right then, FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled the giant as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said the man, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after the man's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"

The man raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.


	5. Chapter IV: Sorting

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face, which said don't mess with her.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said the giant.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here"

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was huge. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Ellie could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right, but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into an empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, since it was small, peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall, "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room"

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours"

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting"

Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall, "Please wait quietly"

She left the chamber.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Harry asked Ron.

"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said there will be a troll, but I think he's joking"

"Awesome!" Ellie said, making everyone stare at her. Harry wasn't worried about her, but fighting troll wasn't on his 'What-to-do-during-first-year' list.

No one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need. Harry tried hard not to listen to her.

Then something happened that made Harry jump about a foot in the air, several people behind him screamed.

"What the..."

About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, unlike the ghosts Harry and Ellie got used to see, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance..."

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost," that sounded funny for Phantom siblings, "...what are you all doing here?"

A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.

"We are new students," Ellie said, grinning. Ghosts gaped at her. Fat Friar pointed shaking finger at her.

"M-Merlin, she looks j-just like him..."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice, before anyone could ask anything, "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start"

Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall, hurriedly.

"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me"

Harry got into line behind an Ellie, with Ron behind him, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

It was lit by thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Harry looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars, thinking that Danny would like it.

Harry quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Then...it started to sing.

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, if you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The Hall started to cheer as hat 'bowed' to the each table. Ellie pouted.

"Awe, I wanted to wrestle a troll. Wizards are boring"

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A small pause...

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her, still not moving eyes from his sister. He didn't like it. Some more people were sorted into their houses, until a familiar name was said.

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. Ron groaned.

Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"

Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself.

"Phantom, Danielle"

Ghosts, who haven't seen Ellie before, gasped, which caused everybody look at them, including teachers. They wondered about such reaction. Funnily enough, Ellie was only one who hasn't noticed that. She eagerly sat on the stool, the hat slipping over her eyes, it being too big. She saw only blackness around, when a small voice in her ear started to talk.

"Hm, I guess there is the first time for everything, I have never seen a royalty before..."

"How do you know that?" Ellie asked.

"Oh, Ms. Phantom, I just look into your memories, worry not, your secrets are safe with me. Now, where to put you? You are courageous, that's unquestionable. You have a very loyal and forgiving nature, combined with bright, but sometimes lazy mind..."

"Hey!" She said aloud.

"I'm merely telling what I see, sorry if I offended you. Ah, there are also big ambitions. Interesting, how about..."

"SLYTHERIN!" The hat shouted.

Harry and Ron looked genuinely surprised and dumbfounded. Harry was a bit sad, since he still didn't want to be there. Ellie went to Slytherin table, glancing at her brother and smiling encouragely.

"Potter, Harry!"

As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at him. Next second he was looking at the black inside of the hat. He waited.

"Hmm," said a small voice in his ear, "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, A my goodness, yes...and a nice thirst to prove yourself, you want to make your father proud... So where shall I put you?"

Harry thought, Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.

"Not Slytherin, eh?" said the small voice. "Are you sure? Young Danielle is there, shouldn't you be eager to be with her?"

Harry felt guilty for leaving his sister alone, but he still didn't want to be there.

"Well, if you're sure...better be GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table. The Weasley twins yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Harry sat down opposite the ghost in the ruff he'd seen earlier. The ghost patted his arm, giving Harry the sudden, horrible feeling he'd just plunged it into a bucket of ice-cold water.

Meanwhile, at the Slytherin table Ellie clapped maybe harder than anyone, smiling. She then noticed how one ghost, Bloody Baron? Was staring at her wide eyed, which in turn caused the others look at young princess.

"Excuse me?" She asked Baron. Only now he realized that he was staring.

"Oh, I apologize," he said nervously, regaining his composure, "I...I was just wondering...you wouldn't be related to DANIEL Phantom?"

"Yep! He is my Daddy!" Ellie answered, making Baron look at her with dropped jaw. Everyone was wondering who this 'Daniel Phantom' was, if his name caused such a reaction.

"I-It's such an honor, miss," The Baron said, outstretching his hand for shake, putting the other on his chest. People were expecting the hand to go through hers, but Ellie shook his hand, much to their shock. "Oh, Sir Nicholas must be jealous"

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

"Thank you!"

He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Harry laughed. He suddenly remembered how Danny dressed like a pirate on his sixth birthday and started to shout different nonexistent words.

Harry's mouth fell open. The dishes in front of him were now piled with food. He had never seen so many things he liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs. Harry piled his plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat. It was all delicious.

"That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching Harry cut up his steak.

"Can't you..."

"I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower," Harry wondered more about this ghosts. The kind he got used to needs food, then again, they aren't intangible 24/7.

"I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly, "My brothers told me about you...you're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy... " the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted.

"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?"

Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.

"Like this," he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, "So...new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable...and now he's going to be even worse"

"Why?" Ron asked.

"Why? Because he has Phantom in his house," he gestured to Danielle.

"What's so special about that family?"

"Well, it's Dad who is famous," Harry shrugged, then noticed confused looks, "I was taken in by their family"

At last, the food disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.

"Ahem...just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you"

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well"

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors"

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch"

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death"

Harry laughed, but then noticed that he was one of the few who did.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Harry noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.

-Laterr-

"Why did you call us here, Professor?" Asked Sir Nicholas, floating in Headmaster's office, along with his fellow house ghosts.

"I wanted to ask about this 'Phantom' you talked about," Answered Dumbledore.

"Well, where should we start..."

"Phantom isn't actually his real last name," said Friar, "His birth name is Fenton. This is an ancient family, but it's members lived mostly in America. That is why we were so surprised to see young Danielle here"

"It isn't a pureblood house, however. Completely opposite, they were...witch hunters," Dumbledore stared wide eyed.

"But Daniel was different. He never was too keen in 'family business'. And then...then he found out he is a wizard. His family, however, didn't. Believe or not, he learned everything by himself, hiding every single detail from his parents. His sister found out, but she was on his side and kept the secret"

"Incredible power he has, even You-Know-Who would think twice before crossing him. Daniel can destroy the city with simple scream, his glare can vaporize you instantly. When you have such power, there are two ways, as he says, 'You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villian'," Baron choked his laugh. Well, Phantom fits the first category, that's for sure.

"He did a lot of good things. Daniel took the pseudonym 'Phantom' and started to 'practice', catching rogue creatures and dark wizards. He did very well, being unregistered and underage Auror. It was during his 'hobbie', as he sarcastically calls it, when he met Ms. McLain. She was a dark witch, who was very dangerous and cruel. It's incredible, how drastically she changed"

"Why?" Albus raised an eyebrow. Ghosts looked at each other with smiles.

"It was Daniel who helped her to see the light," said Nicholas, "After some hardships they came to an understanding, which turned into full fledged love. She became a caring wife and mother for Danielle and, as I just found out, Mr. Potter"

"What?!" Dumbledore said, shocked.

"Yes, Harry told me that he was taken in by Phantoms' family, when he ran away. He seems very happy to live with them"

Dumbledore looked deep in thought.

"Very well, I'd like to listen more later"


	6. Chapter V: Lessons intercourse

Ellie had one uncomfortable trait, uncomfortable for others, of course. She is snoring. It was the same thing in Slytherin dorms. Cold and dark dungeons would have created a feeling of loneliness, if constant sounds from girls' rooms haven't reminded you about completely opposite. It was even worse for her roommates. Other girls somehow managed to fall asleep, but by the morning it became clearly annoying. One of them, Pancy Parkinson, decided to wake Ellie up. She looked at the others, who grinned in anticipation of revenge. Pancy thre the pillow right into her face. Then Ellie just raised her hand lazily, still asleep. The pillow just stuck in the air, surrounded by green glow, and fell on the ground.

Ellie didn't understand why everyone stared at her the whole morning.

It was hard to find a way to the classes. There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts: wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Curious? Yes. Practical? Not a little bit. It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot.

People kept talking about how big of annoyance was Peeves the Poltergeist. Ellie didn't understand why, this guy was funny, plus he was WAY too afraid to mess with Ghost Princess. Peeves also didn't bother Harry, since he knew that he was a member of that family as well. It only increased everyone's curiosity, but they couldn't get a straight answer.

There was the caretaker, Argus Filch. Harry, Ellie and Ron managed to get on the wrong side of him on their very first morning. Filch found them trying to force their way through a door that unluckily turned out to be the entrance to the out-of-bounds corridor on the third floor. He wouldn't believe they were lost, was sure they were trying to break into it on purpose, and was threatening to lock them in the dungeons when they were rescued by Professor Quirrell, who was passing.

Filch owned a cat called Mrs. Norris, a scrawny, nasty creature with bulging, lamp like eyes just like Filch's. She patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, put just one toe out of line, and she'd whisk off for Filch, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later. Filch knew the secret passageways of the school better than anyone (except perhaps the Weasley twins) and could pop up as suddenly as any of the ghosts. The students all hated him, and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs. Norris a good kick, which was fulfied by Ellie, who sneaked from behind, invisible. She is benevolent, yes, but as every ghost she can hold a grudge.

They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets. Harry and Ellie liked it very much, came from their father, who took them stargazing every weekend. Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and stuff, and found out what they were used for. Easily the most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only one taught by a ghost. It was a shock to everyone, that even Professor Binns knew who Phantom was.

Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a little guy, who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. At the start of their first class he took the roll call, and when he reached Harry's name he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight.

Professor McGonagall was just as everyone expected. Strict and clever, she gave them a talking-to the moment they sat down in her first class.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned"

Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time. After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only Hermione Granger and Ellie were able to change their matches, Harry's shone with silver, but that's all. Professor McGonagall showed the class how it had gone all silver and pointy and gave them a rare smile.

DADA lessons, taught by Professor Quirell, were a torture for Ellie. Garlic smell was unbearable, it hung from every place possible. Even his turban smelled weird. Weasley twins suggested that it was to protect himself from vampire all the time, which, by Professor's words, was still after him since he was in Romania. Phantom siblings were suddenly reminded about their fruitloopish gruncle.

Friday was an important day for Harry and Ron. They finally managed to find their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast without getting lost once.

"What have we got today?" Harry asked Ron as he poured sugar on his porridge.

"Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Ron. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favors them...we'll be able to see if it's true."

"Wish McGonagall favored us," said Harry. Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor House, but it hadn't stopped her from giving them a huge pile of homework the day before.

Just then, the mail arrived. Harry had gotten used to this by now, but it had given him a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps.

Hedwig fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a letter onto Harry's plate. It was white, with green stamp in the middle, which had Phantom's symbol. Harry broke the stamp and opened it, reading aloud, so Ron heard him.

'Dear Harry

Congratulations on being Griffindor! If you are wondering how we know that, ask your sister. I hope you are doing well, we want to know how your first week is going, write back sooner.

Byyyy the way, this letter will be destroyed in three...two...'

Harry threw it away, before the letter burst into green fire and burned up.

"I hate when he does that," he said.

Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had happened to him so far.

At the start-of-term banquet, Harry had gotten the idea that Professor Snape disliked him. By the end of the first Potions lesson, he knew he'd been wrong. Snape didn't dislike Harry, no, he hated him.

Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.

Snape, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name.

"Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new...celebrity"

Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potionmaking," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word, like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort, "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death...if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach"

More silence followed this little speech. Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead. Ellie snickered at funny word.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly, "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

"Er... make a sleeping potion," Harry answered. Ellie buzzed about potions the whole summer, of course he remembers some things. Snape blinked.

"Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" He asked another question.

"A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat"

"Looks like you deigned to open the book. Why aren't you writing it down?"

Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs and set them to make a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seemed to take liking. He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor. Students retreated on their stools, since this stuff burned like acid.

"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with the wave of his wand, "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.

"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry and Ellie, who had been working next to Neville.

"You, Potter, why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's one point you've lost for Gryffindor"

This was so unfair that Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Ellie kicked him behind their cauldron.

"Don't push it," she muttered, "I've heard Snape can be a big meanie"

-Laterr-

Ellie returned to the dungeons, being in her usual peppy mood, and fuming some tune. She then noticed how some girl tried to open the way into the common room, naming different things, but to no avail.

"Hey, problem with door?" Ellie asked. The girl nodded.

"Yes, should have learned the password better"

"Oh, who needs doors," she grinned and held her hand. The girl took it reluctantly.

The second later they just went THROUGH the wall. Everyone stared at the two girls in shock.

"How did you do that?" The girl asked, equally surprised. Ellie shrugged.

"Everyone in our family can do that. I even went through my bed a few times when I was sleeping. It doesn't happen now, thankfully. Falling on your butt on the floor below isn't funny. What's your name, anyway?"

"Daphne Greengrass"

"Wanna be friends?"

"Alright"

A.N. That was fast, Ellie.


	7. Chapter VI: Ellie's new friend

Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday. That's what was written on the notice boards. And Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together.

Ellie saw the note in Slytherin dorms and smirked.

"Why are you looking like that?" Daphne asked, seeing her friend's face.

"Oh, nothing, nothing"

During breakfast Malfoy was unbearable. He just wouldn't shut his mouth, telling everyone around how good he was in Quidditch, what a nice broom he had, what a tricks he can do. So Ellie and Daphne decided to do an unthinkable. They went to Griffindor table.

"Hey, bro, don't mind if we sit here?" Ellie asked Harry, who looked at her surprised.

"Eh, sure," Harry said, moving a bit, so they could seat, "What's wrong?"

"Malfoy," Daphne said, "he just can't keep his mouth shut"

A barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke.

"It's a Remembrall!" he explained. "Gran knows I forget things...this tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red, oh... " His face fell, because the Remembrall had suddenly glowed scarlet, "... you've forgotten something..."

Neville was trying to remember what he'd forgotten when Draco Malfoy, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the Remembrall out of his hand.

Harry and Ron jumped to their feet. They were half hoping for a reason to fight Malfoy, but Professor McGonagall, who could smell trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash.

"What's going on?"

"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor"

Scowling, Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table.

"Just looking," he said, and he sloped away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him, followed by glares and one angry pout.

It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.

The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Harry had heard Fred and George Weasley complain about the school brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left.

Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had gray hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."

Harry glanced down at his broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.

"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!'"

"UP" everyone shouted.

Harry's broom flew right into his hand the second he said it. The same thing happened with Malfoy's. Hermione's had simply rolled over on the ground, and Neville's hadn't moved at all. Perhaps brooms, like horses, could tell when you were afraid, since there was a quaver in Neville's voice that said only too clearly that he wanted to keep his feet on the ground.

Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Harry and Ron were delighted when she told Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years. Ellie's look just screamed 'I'm-not-interested', starting from hunched shoulders and bored pout, but her broom still obeyed her.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle, three...two..."

But Neville, being too afraid of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips.

"Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle. Harry saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and...

No one processed what happened at first. One second Neville was falling on the ground. The next moment he was caught by Ellie. It seemed impossible. In a mere moment she sprinted a huge distance, she must have a supernatural reaction and speed. And strength, seriously, nobody canceled the laws of physics. Neville should have weighted thrice as his real one at least.

"You alright?" Ellie asked. Neville hasn't responded, shaking like a leaf.

Madam Hooch came to them, her face even paler than Neville's.

"He seems to be in shock. What about you?" She asked Ellie. She shrugged, with the terrified boy still in her hands.

"I'm fine. You should take him to the Hospital Wing, though"

Madam Hooch turned to the rest of the class, taking Neville.

"None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.' Come on, dear"

Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his body, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.

No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?"

The other Slytherins joined in.

"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, "Never thought you'd like fat little crybabies, Parvati"

"Look!" said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him"

The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.

"Give that here, Malfoy," said Harry. Everyone stopped talking to watch.

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find...how about...up a tree?"

"Do it and you wouldn't be able to sit on the broom again," Harry warned. Crabbe and Goyle took a few steps back, suddenly afraid. But Malfoy leaped into the air.

Harry mounted the broom and kicked hard against the ground and soared up; air rushed through his hair, and his robes whipped out behind him, and in a rush of fierce joy he realized he'd found something he could do without being taught...this was easy, this was wonderful. Now he understood why his father loved it so much. He pulled his broomstick up a little to take it even higher, getting gasps of awe.

He turned his broomstick sharply to face Malfoy in midair. He looked stunned.

"Give it here," Harry called, "or I'll knock you off that broom!"

"Oh, yeah?" said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but looking worried.

Harry leaned forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands, and it shot toward Malfoy. He barely got out of the way.

"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your butt, Malfoy," Harry called.

The same thought seemed to have struck Malfoy.

"Catch it if you can, then!" he shouted, and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back toward the ground.

Harry saw the ball rise up in the air and then start to fall. He leaned forward and pointed his broom handle down wind whistled in his ears, mingled with the screams of people watching, he stretched out his hand and in a small distance from the ground he caught it, just in time to pull his broom straight, and he toppled gently onto the grass with the Remembrall clutched safely in his fist.

"HARRY POTTER!"

His heart sank faster than he'd just dived. Professor McGonagall was running toward them. He got to his feet, trembling.

"Never...in all my time at Hogwarts..."

Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously, "...how dare you...might have broken your neck..."

"It wasn't his fault, Professor..."

"Be quiet, Miss Phantom"

"But Malfoy..."

"That's enough, Mr. Weasley. Potter, follow me, now"

Ellie watched her brother walk away, extremely worried and angry. She looked at Malfoy and her eyes glowed long enough for him to notice and back off.

-Later-

"Harry!" Ellie exclaimed as Harry walked into Great Hall for dinner. She ran to her brother and hugged him, "They didn't do anything, did they? You aren't..."

"Ellie, don't worry. It was much better than I thought," Harry said, smiling "I became a Seeker"

"A what?"

"I'm in Griffindor Quidditch team," he whispered, "I start training next week. Only don't tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret"

Fred and George Weasley now came into the hall, spotted Harry, and hurried over.

"Well done," said George in a low voice, "Wood told us. We're on the team too...Beaters"

"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch cup for sure this year," said Fred. "We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Harry, Wood was almost skipping when he told us"

"Anyway, we've got to go, Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school"

"Bet it's that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you"

Fred and George had hardly disappeared when someone far less welcome turned up: Malfoy, flanked by his shadows.

"Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back?"

"Looks like your henchmen added you some bravery," said Harry coolly.

"I'd take you on anytime on my own," said Malfoy. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only...no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"

"Of course he has," said Ron, coming closer, "I'm his second, who's yours?"

Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, trying to pick the bigger one

"Crabbe," he said. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked"

"And why midnight?" Ellie asked.

"What, afraid of dark?" Malfoy teased.

"No, it's just long after the curfew," Harry said, "But if it will shut you up, I'm always in"

-Laterr-

Ellie noticed that Malfoy avoided talking near her. She wondered about it, since it was completely opposite of what he usually did. Ellie waited before anyone would fall asleep, enjoying silence. Ellie took on, in a snap of fingers, her clothes. It was a two-piece clothes. Long sleeved shirt with white gloves, which revealed her belly, and black pants with white boots. Ellie floated quietly and phased through the roof.

The halls were lightened by hundreds of torches, burning with neverending fire. Ellie found needed place easily. It was a trophy room, surprise, surprise. Full of different cups and trophies, shining with golden, silver and bronze light. To her surprise, besides Harry and Ron there were Hermione and Neville. The first one was too rule crazy to think about coming here and Neville didn't seem like the type. Another interesting thing. Not a sign of Malfoy.

"He's late, maybe he's chickened out," Ron whispered.

"I don't think so," Ellie said, making everyone jump in surprise, "I think he never planned to show up at all"

As on cue, they heard a voice, which could belong to only one person in this castle.

"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."

It was Filch speaking to his hellish cat. Horror-struck, Harry waved madly at the other three to follow him as quickly as possible; they scurried silently toward the door, away from Filch's voice. Neville's robes had barely whipped round the corner when they heard Filch enter the trophy room.

"They're in here somewhere," they heard him mutter, "probably hiding"

"This way!" Harry mouthed to the others and, petrified, they began to creep down a long gallery full of suits of armor. They could hear Filch getting nearer. Neville suddenly let out a frightened squeak and broke into a run he tripped, grabbed Ron around the waist, and the pair of them toppled right into a suit of armor.

The clanging and crashing were loud enough to wake the whole castle.

"RUN!" Harry yelled. They ran and ran, without even realizing or thinking about directions.They found themselves in a hidden passageway, hurtled along it and came out near their Charms classroom, which they knew was miles from the trophy room.

"I think we've lost him," Harry panted, leaning against the cold wall and wiping his forehead. Neville was bent double, wheezing and spluttering.

"I...told...you," Hermione gasped, clutching at the stitch in her chest, "I...told...you"

"We've got to get back to Gryffindor tower," said Ron, "quickly as possible."

"Malfoy tricked you," Hermione said to Harry. "You realize that, don't you? He was never going to meet you...Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room, Malfoy must have tipped him off"

Harry thought she was probably right, but he wasn't going to say it.

"Ellie, can you..."

"Nah," she shook her head, "unless you want to appear with hands instead of legs, then go ahead"

"What are you..."

"Guys," Neville called, terrified, causing everyone to turn around.

They weren't in a room, as they had supposed. They were in a corridor. The forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they knew why it was forbidden.

There was a monstrous dog, it's huge body filled the space between floor and ceiling. It's three heads looked at the students, showing yellow fangs, dripping smelly saliva.

It was standing quite still, all six eyes staring at them. You don't need to be a zoologist to guess what thunderous growl means. Then...

It rolled on the side, each head was sticking out a tongue excitedly, like...a petted dog. They all heard giggling. Looking at the side, they saw Ellie.

"What? Doggies like when you rub their belly!" She said, doing exactly that. One of the heads licked her, causing even more giggles.

"Alright, Filch must be gone for now"

Harry shook his head. Typical Ellie.


	8. Chapter VII: Troll

"Hey, Dracoo," Ellie said in sickeningly sweet voice.

Malfoy couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that Ellie was still at Hogwarts the next day. And he gulped. She was out for blood, that much was obvious. It was confirmed when she pinned him to the nearest wall.

"Listen, Draco, if you will do something like that again, you will regret this, got it?"

"Y-yeah, I got it..."

"Wondeful," she smiled and walked away as if nothing happened.

Still, she wasn't so angry. Ellie got an awesome dog buddy because of night chase. And, it was almost left unnoticed, but she saw a trapdoor, which was under massive body. Ellie couldn't help but wonder what was under it. Maybe an ancient treasures? Or maybe a powerful artifact created by Death himself? Or maybe Philosopher's stone...nah, too farfetched.

"What was that about?" Daphne asked, surprised to see her friend like that.

"Just Draco being sneaky little...nevermind"

-Meanwhile-

Hermione was now refusing to speak to Harry and Ron, but she was such a bossy know-it-all that they saw this as an added bonus. All they really wanted now was a way of getting back at Malfoy, but he seemed to avoid them, they didn't know why, but Harry suspected that Ellie has something to do with that. Next week he got a chance to get back at Malfoy by himself.

As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by a long, thin package carried by six large screech owls. Harry was just as interested as everyone else to see what was in this large parcel, and was amazed when the owls soared down and dropped it right in front of him, knocking his bacon to the floor. They had hardly fluttered out of the way when another, familiar owl dropped a letter on top of the parcel.

Harry ripped open the letter first, which was lucky, because it said:

DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE.

I s'pose congratulations are in order, Harry, so...congrats, champion! Professor McGonnagall told us about a show you did, and I sure hope that with that little present you will make that guy regret crossing you. It contains Nibus Two Thousand. I heard it's the fastest broom...so I did some mumbo jumbo to make it even faster. DON'T WORRY, it wouldn't blow up like other things! Professor also asked to tell you that Oliver Wood, whoever he is, will meet you tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your first training session. We are proud of you, kiddo.

Love,

Mom and Dad

Harry couldn't contain his smile as he handed the note to Ron to read.

"A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously. "I've never even touched one. What does he mean by 'mumbo jumbo'?"

"No clue"

"What is this about blowing up?"

"Well, Dad likes experimenting. The things he creates are brilliant, if they don't explode"

They left the hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomstick in private before their first class, but halfway across the entrance hall they found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized the package from Harry and felt it.

"That's a broomstick," he said, throwing it back to Harry with a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face. "You'll be in for it this time, Potter, first years aren't allowed them"

Ron couldn't resist it.

"It's not any old broomstick," he said, "it's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?" Ron grinned at Harry. "Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus"

"What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle," Malfoy snapped back. "I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig"

Before Ron could answer, Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow.

"Not arguing, I hope, boys?" he squeaked.

"Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor," said Malfoy quickly.

"Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick, beaming at Harry. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?"

"A Nimbus Two Thousand, it is," said Harry, fighting not to laugh at the look of horror on Malfoy's face. "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it," he added.

Harry and Ron headed upstairs, smothering their laughter at Malfoy's obvious rage and confusion.

-Lateer-

On Halloween morning they woke to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors. Even better, Professor Flitwick announced in Charms that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly. He put the students in pairs to practice.

"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" squeaked Professor Flitwick, perched on top of his pile of books as usual. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too, never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest"

It was easy for Ellie. One flick and the feather flew in the air.

"C'mon, Daphne, you forgot to flick," she advised her friend. Daphne tried again, but groaned when she hasn't succeeded.

"Why are you learning it, anyway? You don't even need a wand for it!" She said, throwing hands in the air, exasperated.

"What do you mean, Ms. Greengrass?" Asked Professor curiously. Ellie grinned innocently, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Well..." Ellie lifted her hand and the feather flew into the air. Flitwick clapped excitedly.

"Magnificent! Five points to Slytherin!"

-Latterr-

A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. The feast appeared suddenly on the golden plates, as it had at the start-of-term banquet.

Harry was just helping himself to a baked potato when Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall, his turban askew and terror on his face. Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped, "TROLL! In the dungeons! Thought you ought to know"

He then sank to the floor, fainting.

There was an uproar. It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Professor Dumbledore's wand to bring silence.

"Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"

-Meanwhile-

"We are going to be so late!" Ellie shouted.

"Well, it was you who got lost," Daphne said, "how the heck did you get there, anyway?"

"Eh, I fleeww," Ellie answered slowly. Then they heard low sniffing sounds, like crying, which seemed to come from girls' bathroom. Girls looked at each other and walked inside.

Hermione was sobbing near sink. She didn't pay attention to them.

"Hey, 'Mione," Ellie said carefully.

"Go away," she answered, turning away.

"Hey, we are trying to help here!" Daphne crossed her hands.

"What happened?" asked Ellie.

Before Hermione could say anything, Ellie's nose caught some horrible stinking. She grimaced, catching the smell of socks and dirty common toilet, which nobody cleaned in a long while.

And then they heard it. A low grunting, and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. Then something emerged from the doorway.

It was a horrible sight. Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull, granite gray, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. The smell coming from it was incredible. It was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long.

Ellie was the first one to step out of shock. She grabbed her companions and dragged them into nearest cabin. Hermione almost screamed, but Daphne covered her mouth and made a shooing motion with her finger.

"What in the both worlds is that thing?" Ellie whispered.

"Mountain troll," Hermione muttered once Daphne removed her hand.

Meanwhile the stomping of the feet became louder and louder, meaning that troll was coming closer.

"Alright, I will distract him and you run," Ellie said, "One...two...was the door just locked?" She heard the key turning in lock, "Well crap. Okay, plan B"

"What is it?"

The club flew right above their heads, breaking the walls of cabin.

"DUCK!"

They did as was told, diving under wooden weapon. The troll lumbered around, blinking stupidly, trying to understand what just happened. Its mean little eyes saw Daphne. It hesitated, then made for her instead, lifting it's club as it went.

"Hey, Dundlehead!" yelled Ellie from the other side of the troll and she threw a metal pipe at it. The troll didn't even seem to notice the pipe hitting its shoulder, but it heard the yell and paused again, turning its ugly snout toward Ellie instead, giving Daphne time to run around it.

The shouting and the echoes seemed to be driving the troll berserk. It roared again and started toward Ellie, who was nearest and had no way to escape.

But she did something stupid. Brave, but stupid. In one almost unnoticeable motion Ellie jumped on it's back. She then gripped it's head very tight.

Howling with pain, the troll moved his free hand, trying to catch the girl on his back. But the troll was too slow, and Ellie had too fast reaction.

Then the troll became desperate. It raised it's club high, high in the air. Then the troll, using all it's strength, swung his weapon and tried to hit her. Unluckily for it, Ellie jumped off it's head. And the club only hit the troll's head. The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face, with a thud that made the whole room tremble.

It was Hermione who spoke first.

"Is it...dead?"

"I don't think so," said Ellie, "He was knocked out..."

"What happened here?!"

Girls turned around and saw Harry and Ron, who stared shocked.

A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made the three of them look up. They hadn't realized what a racket they had been making, but of course, someone downstairs must have heard the crashes and the troll's roars. A moment later, Professor McGonagall had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape, with Quirrell bringing up the rear. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper, and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart.

Snape bent over the troll. Professor McGonagall was looking at them. She wore the most furious look they had ever seen.

"What on earth were you thinking of?" said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"

"Umm, you see," Ellie started, "Me and Daphne didn't know about troll. We went near the bathroom, where we found Hermione. That's when it," she pointed at the troll, "came here"

"And what about you?" McGonagall turned to Ron and Harry.

"We were searching for Hermione"

"Well, in that case... " said Professor McGonagall, staring at the five of them, "If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to your dorms. Students are finishing the feast in their houses"

"Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. Ms. Phantom and Ms. Greengrass earn five points for Slytherin. The same for your house, Ms. Granger. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go"

They hurried out of the chamber and didn't speak at all until they went two floors down. It was a relief to be away from the smell of the troll, quite apart from anything else.

"We should have gotten more than ten points," Daphne said.

"Still better than nothing, right?" Ellie shrugged as if nothing really happened.

"How can you be so calm? You knocked out troll!"

"Technically...IT knocked itself out. Plus I have seen weirder stuff"

They had reached the first floor. Hermione, stood alone by the ladder, waiting for them. There was a very embarrassed pause. Then, none of them looking at each other, they all said "Thanks," and hurried off to get to their houses.

But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and defeating a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.


	9. Chapter VIII: Quidditch

As they entered November, the weather turned very cold. The mountains around the school became icy gray and the lake like chilled steel. Every morning the ground was covered in frost.

Someone thought it will be a perfect time for the first Quidditch match, and, oh irony, it's going to be Griffindor against Slytherin.

Ellie's built-in resistance to the cold temperatures allowed to save money from buying winter robes. Everyone besides Harry was wondering about her walking around in plain clothes without care in the world. The day before Harry's first Quidditch match she and her friends were out in the freezing courtyard during break, and Hermione had conjured them up a bright blue fire that could be carried around in a jam jar.

Professor Snape was crossing the yard with the book 'Quidditch Through the Ages'. They noticed at once that Snape was limping, Ellie even saw the claw marks on his leg, which Snape tried to hide.

"Since when Professor is interested in Quidditch?" Daphne asked, confused.

"I have a feeling that some house lost a few points," Hermione answered, "I'm more interested in why he is limping"

"There are claw marks. Do you think Fluffy left them?" Ellie said, making her friends look at her strangely.

"Fluffy?"

"Yep. Didn't ya know that the most scary animals are called with cute names? I call him Fluffy"

"You mean that dog..." Hermione said.

"Slow down, what are you talking about?" Daphne asked. Ellie facepalmed.

"Oh, we forgot to tell you"

So they explained Daphne about their little adventure on the third floor.

"You know what this means?" Ellie finished breathlessly. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Halloween! He's after whatever it's guarding! And I bet my whistle, he let that troll in, to make a diversion!"

Hermione and Daphne's eyes were wide.

"No...he wouldn't," Hermione said. "I know he's not very nice, but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe"

"I'm still suspicious," Ellie mumbled.

-Lateer-

The next morning dawned very bright and cold. The Great Hall was full of the delicious smell of fried sausages and the cheerful chatter of everyone looking forward to a good Quidditch match.

"C'mon, Harry"

"No"

"Eat at least something!"

"I'm not hungry, Ellie"

"Would you prefer me to push it in your mouth?" She narrowed her eyes. Harry gulped, as well as people around, his sister can be scary sometimes.

"Fine, I'll eat," he sighed, putting a few eggs on his plate.

By eleven o'clock the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. The seats were raised high in the air, helping to see what's going on. Some students even brought binoculars.

Ellie sat with Daphne in the top row. The first one decided to support her house team, except the moment when her brother would succeed.

Madam Hooch was refereeing. She stood in the middle of the field waiting for the two teams, her broom in her hand.

"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," she said, once they were all gathered around her. She seemed to be speaking particularly to the Slytherin Captain, Marcus Flint, a sixth year. Harry thought Flint looked as if he had some troll blood in him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the fluttering banner high above, flashing Potter for President over the crowd.

"Mount your brooms, please"

Harry clambered onto his Nimbus Two Thousand. With the sound of silver whistle they were off.

And the Quaffle was taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor. And she belted along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, passed back to Johnson. Then Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gained the Quaffle and off he went. Flint was going to score...but no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors took the Quaffle. Katie Bell of Gryffindor dived around Flint, off up the field and was hit in the back of the head by a Bludger. Quaffle was taken by the Slytherins, Adrian Pucey was speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger, sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which. Johnson was back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes, she's really flying, dodges a speeding Bludger...the goal posts are ahead...Keeper Bletchley dives...misses...and Griffindors score!

Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins.

Harry was gliding over the game, squinting about for some sign of the Snitch. This was part of his and Wood's game plan.

"Keep out of the way until you catch sight of the Snitch," Wood had said. "We don't want you attacked before you have to be"

When Angelina had scored, Harry shook his head a few times to let off his feelings. Now he was back to staring around for the Snitch. Once he caught sight of a flash of gold, but it was just a reflection from one of the Weasleys' wristwatches, and once a Bludger decided to take him down, pelting his way, more like a cannonball than anything, but Harry dodged it and Fred Weasley came chasing after it.

"All right there, Harry?" he had time to yell, as he beat the Bludger furiously toward Marcus Flint.

"Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan, the commentator, was saying, "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the -- wait a moment...was that the Snitch?"

A murmur ran through the crowd as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear.

Harry saw it. In a great rush of excitement he dived downward after the streak of gold. Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs had seen it as well. Neck and neck they hurtled toward the Snitch, all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in midair to watch.

Harry was faster than Higgs, his broom to be exact, he could see the little round ball, wings fluttering, darting up ahead...he put on an extra spurt of speed...

WHAM! A roar of rage echoed from the Gryffindors below. Marcus Flint had blocked Harry on purpose, and Harry's broom spun off course, Harry holding on for dear life.

"Foul!" screamed the Gryffindors.

Madam Hooch spoke angrily to Flint and then ordered a free shot at the goal posts for Gryffindor. But in all the confusion, the Golden Snitch dissappeared from sight yet again.

Down in the stands, Ellie was yelling, "Send him off, ref! Red card!"

"What are you talking about, Ellie?" said Daphne.

"Red card!" said Ellie, "In soccer you get shown the red card and you're out of the game!"

"But this isn't soccer, Ellie," Daphne reminded her. Ellie pouted and crossed her hands.

It was as Harry dodged another Bludger, which went spinning dangerously past his head, that it happened. His broom gave a sudden, frightening lurch. For a split second, he thought he was going to fall. He gripped the broom tightly with both his hands and knees. He'd never felt anything like that.

It happened again. It was as though the broom was trying to buck him off. But Nimbus Two Thousands did not suddenly decide to buck their riders off. Harry tried to turn back toward the Gryffindor goal-posts, and then he realized that his broom was completely out of his control. He couldn't turn it. He couldn't direct it at all. It was zigzagging through the air, and every now and then making violent swishing movements that almost unseated him.

"Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?" Ellie whispered.

"Can't have," Daphne said, "nothing can interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic...no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand"

"Gimme binoculars!" Ellie said and seized them.

"What are you doing?" moaned Daphne, gray-faced.

"I knew it," Ellie gasped, "Snape. Look"

Snape was in the middle of the stands opposite them. He had his eyes fixed on Harry and was muttering nonstop under his breath.

"He's doing something...jinxing the broom," said Ellie, "Leave it to me"

Before Daphne could say another word, Ellie had disappeared. Harry's broom was vibrating so hard, it was almost impossible for him to hang on much longer. The whole crowd was on its feet, watching, terrified, as the Weasleys flew up to try and pull Harry safely onto one of their brooms, but it was no good - every time they got near him, the broom would jump higher still. They dropped lower and circled beneath him, obviously hoping to catch him if he fell. Marcus Flint seized the Quaffle and scored five times without anyone noticing.

Ellie had flew invisible across to the stand where Snape stood, almost being hit by Bludger, and was now racing along the row behind him; Reaching Snape, she crouched down. Bright green flames shot from her finger onto the hem of Snape's robes.

It took perhaps thirty seconds for Snape to realize that he was on fire. A sudden yelp told her she had done her job well. Snape knocked a few people out of their seats in his attempts to extinguish the fire. Ellie flew back.

It was enough. Up in the air, Harry was suddenly able to clamber back on to his broom.

Harry was speeding toward the ground when the crowd saw him clap his hand to his mouth as though he was about to hurl, he hit the field on all fours, coughed, and something gold fell into his hand.

"I've got the Snitch!" he shouted, waving it above his head, and the game ended in complete confusion.

"He didn't catch it, he nearly swallowed it," Flint was still howling twenty minutes later, but it made no difference, Harry hadn't broken any rules, Gryffindor had won by one hundred and seventy points to sixty. Harry heard none of this, though.

"It was Snape," Ellie was explaining, "Daphne and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you. Now that sounds weirder than I imagined"

"I knew it," Harry muttered, "Just great, now he wants to kill me"

"Think we should tell Mom and Dad?"

"We don't have any proofs besides what you saw"

And so they decided to wait.


	10. Chapter IX: Christmas

Christmas was coming. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze solid and Ellie was punished for sneaking on the students and throwing snowballs at them, which earned her an undying, pun intended, respect of certain poltergeist. The fact that she can create a snowball out of thin air didn't help the matters. The few owls that managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver mail had to be nursed back to health by gamekeeper Hagrid before they could fly off again.

No one could wait for the holidays to start. While the Gryffindor common room and the Great Hall had roaring fires, the drafty corridors had become icy and a bitter wind rattled the windows in the classrooms. Worst of all were Professor Snape's classes down in the dungeons, where their breath rose in a mist before them and they kept as close as possible to their hot cauldrons.

Ron and his brothers were staying in Hogwarts, because Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were going to Romania to visit Charlie. So Harry offered them to join the Christmas celebration. Ron and the twins agreed without even thinking, Percy on the other hand...he decided to stay.

"But where are we going to sleep?" Ron asked.

"We have plenty rooms. Sure there is a place"

Once the holidays started, this huge company was on the way to London. The station looked the same as the last time. You couldn't guess that Christmas was coming and winter winds were raging outside. It didn't take long for Harry and Ellie to spot their parents. Danny was dressed lightly, with T-shirt and jeans in -10. Ember, on the other side, had a lot of warm clothes on her. She can't stand the cold, just like Danny and Ellie can't stand heat. They seemed to argue about something, well, not argue per say...

"Please, Em"

"No"

"I promise it wouldn't be like the last time"

"No," Danny then used heavy artillery - puppy eyes.

"Pleease"

"Ugh, how the hell you can do that in that age? Fine," Danny threw his hands in the air, "You are an idiot, you know that?"

"That's why you love me, honey," He laughed.

Weasleys were approaching them along with their friends.

"Wait, are that your parents?" Ron asked Harry.

"Yep"

"But...they look like they are twenty!" Harry merely shrugged.

"Hey, kiddos," Danny appeared near them, making Ron jump in surprise. Harry got used to that already.

"Hey, Dad," He hugged his father with a smile on his face. Danny ruffled Harry's hair.

"And where is..."

"Daddy!" Ellie jumped on his back, causing Danny to laugh.

"Oh, there you are, princess," he said, taking his daughter in his hands easily. Danny glanced to the side, "I think you are forgetting someone"

"Mommy!" Ellie immediately ran to her, as well as Harry. Danny looked at Ember and snickered a little.

"Soo," he turned to Weasleys, "you must be Ron"

"Yes, sir," Danny smiled.

"Call me Danny, I'm called 'sir' more than enough," he looked at the twins, "but I don't know about you"

"I'm Gred"

"I'm Forge," Danny chuckled.

"Hm, I think we will get along"

Their house was already decorated for Christmas. Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls, and Christmas tree stood in the living room, sparkling with tiny icicles, but still empty.

"Why aren't there any toys?" Ellie asked.

"Well, we remember it's your favorite part," Ember kneeled near her with a smile.

"Yuppie!" Ellie exclaimed and dragged her mother behind her. Danny turned to the rest of the group, snickering.

"Alright, twins sleep in the second room on the left upstairs. Ron in the next one. Now for the rules. Only one. I don't see any need in forbidding you to come down into my lab, since you would come either way. So DO NOT touch anything there, or you will die...or worse," he said the last word in 'scary voice' and smile, which sent shivers down their spines.

-Llater-

Ron and Harry were having a very good time. They sat by the hour eating anything they could get their hands on: chocolate, English muffins, marshmallows...and plotting ways of getting Malfoy expelled, which were fun to talk about even if they wouldn't work.

Ron also started teaching Harry wizard chess. They were like Muggle chess, except one huge difference. The figures were very much alive, making it seem like you are directing troops in battle. Like everything in Weasleys' family the chess figures came from someone, this time it was Ron's grandfather. But despite the fact that the figures were old and battered, it didn't seem to bother Ron, because he was undefeatable in this game.

Danny was walking nearby, thinking about something of his own, not noticing the kids.

"Hey Dad, wanna play?" Harry asked. Phantom looked at the chessboard and his eyes widened.

"NO! NEVER AGAIN!" he stomped away as fast as he could.

Ron looked at Harry to ask him about such strange behavior, but saw the same expression on his face.

-Laater-

"Ready, Fred?"

"Ready, George"

The twins put a bucket on the door. Classic. All they needed is wait before Danny will exit the room.

"You need to move it a biiit more on the left," they heard the voice. Twins turned around and saw Ember standing there with a smirk on her face. Twins blinked.

"Aren't you angry?" They asked.

"Oh noo, I'm about to get my revenge," she grinned evilly and waited for Danny with twins, watching the door. And waited.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, we just..." everyone turned to the source of the voice. Danny stood there with a confused expression on his face.

"Wait, if you are here, then..." the sound of falling bucket interrupted their train of thoughts. Ellie stood there, soaked in water, with an angry expression on her face. Danny pointed his finger on the twins innocently. Her ponytail set on fire as she glared at them.

"RUN!"

-Later-

Danny was right, Ron and Harry didn't seem to wait before entering the lab. It was different from the one his parents made, starting from the mere fact that his lab was clean, NOT covered in junk, with pieces of inventions scattered everywhere. However, that was where the differences ended.

"Wow, mate. What your Dad is doing here?" Ron asked awed.

"Different things. We don't pay electricity bills"

"Muggles pay for electricity?"

"Not us, the generator Dad made gives us enough. The original idea came from his parents"

"You haven't told me anything about them, by the way," Ron commented, looking at the glowing green cistern.

"That's because we don't talk much about them. Mom's parents are long since dead, and Dad's...he doesn't like them much. That's why he moved all the way across the ocean from America. I remember that they didn't want Dad to marry Mom"

"Were they blood purists?"

"Eh...I guess you can say that"

"And what is this?" Ron looked at Danny's very own Ghost Portal. Harry's eyes widened and he stepped in front of him.

"Wow, wow. We DON'T approach this thing. Dad once did and was almost shocked to death"

-Laterr-

It was a loud Christmas dinner. The chatter wasn't dying down, pun intended. Mostly because Danny was telling a lot of funny stories. The guests especially liked the one about his prank war with fruitloop Vlad. How he sent governmental lapidiots to search Vlad's home, destroying it in the process, how Vlad responded with sending the same people to destroy Danny's room. Phantom then made the walls of billionaire's bathroom invisible, while he was in it. Masters responded symmetrically. And how Vlad ended up becoming a mayor of his hometown just to win the war.

The clocks rang the midnight and Danny whistled.

"Alright guys, I managed to convince Ember to let me launch the fireworks..."

"Actually it looked more like begging," Ember answered, rolling her eyes.

"You are so mean!" Danny gasped before getting up with an obviously fake hurt.

Once everyone was outside, the eldest Phantom lit up...a torch. Everyone raised an eyebrow. Danny looked at them.

"What, I can't see a thing," he saw the wick and ignited it, before returning to his family, "Alright, it's show time"

The firework flew up in the sky, where it exploded into million sparking pieces. Somehow they managed to get a shape. It was the shape...of the bicycle with a bag, flying across the moon.

"Oops, the wrong one"

-Later-

Harry was going back to his bedroom, when he was stopped by a cough. Turning around, he saw his father, smiling at him.

"Do you have a minute, Harry?"

"What is it?" He asked confused.

"We are going to have a little trip. Take my hand"

Harry did as was told and the next moment he was standing in the different place. It looked like an unused classroom. The dark shapes of desks and chairs were piled against the walls, and there was an upturned wastepaper basket, but propped against the wall facing him was something that didn't look as if it belonged there, something that looked as if someone had just put it there to keep it out of the way.

It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.

"Where are we?" Harry asked.

"In Hogwarts," Danny answered, shocking the boy, "and this," he gestured to the mirror, "is the Mirror of Erised. C'mon now, look in it"

Harry walked closer. But he didn't understand what was supposed to happen. Harry just saw his reflection.

"Is somesomething supposed to happen?" He asked his father, whose eyes widened.

"You don't see anything?" In response Harry shook his head.

"Hm, that's not what I was expecting, but that's even better," Danny chuckled.

"What do you mean?"

"Let me explain. It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible"

"But I don't see anything," Harry said and Danny smiled mysteriously. Harry's eyes widened.

"The happiest man on Earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is. Does that help?"

"So that means...I'm the happiest man on Earth?" Danny chuckled.

"Apparently so. I believe it's time to go home before your mother kills us," he joked, causing Harry to laugh.

"Wait, Dad. And what do you see there?" Danny smiled sadly.

"I see my parents finally accepting me for what I am"


	11. Chapter X: Father's present

On the next morning, Harry was looking forward to the next day for the food and the fun, and a lot of presents, of course. When he woke early in the morning, the first thing he did was going into living room, but his sister beated him to it. She was sitting on an armchair with crossed hands and a pout on her face.

"Merry Christmas," she said grumpily.

"You, too," Harry greeted, confused, "What's wrong?"

"Mommy said we can't open the presents yet," Ellie answered, turning to the huge pile of presents under the Christmas tree.

"That would be rather impolite, wouldn't it?" Danny asked, leaning on the wall with a cup of coffee in his hand. He wore a black T-shirt with the phrase 'I'm dead and proud of it' printed on it, "Plus the only one sleeping here is Ron. Harry, breakfast is on the table."

Harry walked into the kitchen, and was immediately greeted by the smell of hot chocolate. Twins were nowhere to be seen, and Ember was sitting at the table. Legs on it and mug with hot chocolate in her hand. Harry recalled that she doesn't let Danny to do that. Ember smiled at her adoptive son.

"Merry Christmas, Harry!" She said cheerfully, spilling some liquid on the floor, before shrugging. This was her husband's part of the house to clean. He was just too humble to have any servants.

"Merry Christmas, Mom," he responded, sitting on the table and helping himself some waffles.

"Where are Fred and George?" He asked. Ember looked thoughtful.

"They better not try to touch my guitar again," she said, a bit angrily, "they tore a string on it. And that is unforgivable, you know that, babypop."

"You didn't do anything to them after that, right?" Ember just whistled innocently, before popping jelly bean from the box in her mouth, before coughing in disgust at the horrible taste, "How do you eat them?" She choked, making Harry laugh. Ron walked into the room, confused about the scene before him.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Mom got a nasty bean," Harry laughed. Ron was about to say something, but Ember turned to him.

"Not. A word, dipstick," she said menacingly. He quickly raised his hands in surrender, "good." Ember finished as Ron situated at the table.

"Did you guys know that you have a poltergeist here?" Ron asked after a few minutes. Ember and Harry looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

"And how did he look like?"

"I woke up in the middle of the night and was really thirsty. I went downstairs, and heard something in the kitchen. I thought it was someone of you guys, so I went there and saw a poltergeist. He looked like overweight guy in some muggle clothes," Harry and Ember started to laugh.

"Did he by any chance shouted 'Beware!' before dissappearing?" Ember asked. Ron nodded, "Nah, don't be bothered by this idiot, he is harmless."

"But he threw a juice box at me!" Ron exclaimed.

"I don't think this is considered a harm, mate," Harry said.

"And I was wondering where all the juice boxes went," Danny commented, walking into the kitchen and putting his mug in the coffee machine, "So, good ol' Boxy stole them, huh? This guy doesn't leave us even half across the world."

"Danny," Ember warned, "this is your third one," he laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Relax, hon, I'm NOT getting addicted. Plus, have you tried this Columbian coffee? It is magnificent!"

After his coffee was ready, Danny went down into his lab, he won't even touch the documents at this wonderful day. That was it, he was taking a day off. Well, he took it yesterday and the day before, too...Phantom had more interesting things to do, anyway. Changing Ecto-filtrator wasn't the most exciting thing, however.

Once he went down, he saw the twins fiddling around his newest toy. Danny shrugged nonchalantly, it wasn't finished yet, so no harm done.

"Early Bird gets the spoil, huh?" He joked, calling their attention, before making a gulp from his mug.

"Hey, Mr. P."

"What's this thing?" George, or Fred, lifted a metal construction from the table. Danny continued his way to the portal, putting a mug on the table nearby.

"That's just a little hobby of mine. Completing a few orders, I once was even asked by British government to make some radiation protection," Phantom answered without looking back. Danny kneeled near the portal and took out a screwdriver.

"Radiation?"

"Yeah, muggles learned to get an enormous amount of electricity out of simple rocks. Well, not simple per say, their atomic structure is very peculiar. Their usage is also connected with a great risk. One mistake, and a huge amount of now free molecules will be in the air. They cause diseases which can't be healed by magic or otherwise, because they are destroying the cells your bodies are made of," the twins shivered, even if they did not understand half of the words.

"Muggles are weird," they said. Danny chuckled.

"But how do you know it?"

"Those are basics on Science lessons in muggle schools. And I studied there for pretty long time."

"And what about wizarding one?" Danny snorted.

"Self taught. They won't have accepted me, anyway. I mean, even if I can stun the enemy with a move of the hand, I can't cast a simple Alohomora. They thought I was useless, HA! Who's laughing now?" The twins were very interested in his story.

"Bet that they will get along with Dad?" Fred asked.

"I don't want to lose, so I won't."

There was a sound of crash.

"What are you doing?"

"Changing the filtrator," Danny grunted, "boring thing, but extremely important. I don't want to blow up city block, I like this city too much, mind you. A little help here, take the metal box from the first shelf on the left. It has words 'ecto-filtrator' written on it."

Fred and George looked at each other, before shrugging and looking where Danny said. The filtrator was there, it fit the description, besides one thing, it was covered in green glowing liquid. The twins grimaced.

"Don't," Danny stopped them abruptly, still fiddling near the portal, "Take on the gloves first. Despite how useful it can be, third hand is unneeded," the twins turned to each other again.

"Go you."

"No, you first."

"I insist," Fred sighed, before taking on the thick white leather glothes. He picked up the box and dragged it across the lab, ectoplasm dripping on the floor all the way. Without looking back, Danny just outstretched his hand, where Fred put the filtrator. His eyes widened once he realized that Phantom wasn't wearing gloves. Danny looked at it, before the groan escaped his mouth.

"Just great, another leak," He got up and walked to the metal table. He noticed the twins' looks on his way, "I'm immune to that stuff, guys, you, however," he pointed his screwdiver at them, "are not," Danny picked up the metal mask and took it on. The next action awed the kids, since the end of Phantom's pointing finger set on a small green fire, "Step aside, boys," muffled voice sounded from behind.

He started to melt the metal together, and small sparks flew out of it. He usually phazed two pieces together, but it was a leak and this trick wouldn't work this time, plus he wasn't alone. Finally he checked all the holes and took off the mask.

"Phew," Danny wiped the sweat and walked to the portal, "Have you studied mandragora yet?" He asked suddenly.

"Yeah."

"Last year," Danny hummed, putting on the earplugs.

"Well, it will be a symphony compared to this."

He unplugged the previous filtrator, and the horrible wail of thousands of souls filled the room. Fred and George covered their ears, while Danny quickly put a new one on its place, connecting wires and tubes to the machine, and the wail stopped.

"What was this?" The twins asked at the same time.

"My parents called it 'ecto-interference', when you tear down the fabric of space such things tend to happen," Danny grinned at the kids' shocked faces.

-Later-

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon! Let's open them!" Ellie said excitedly, dragging two boys out of the kitchen. She was pretty strong despite her appearance. Damn supernatural strength.

"Slow down, Ellie!" Harry said, trying to get out from his sister's deadly, pun intended, grip. This vain actions earned a laugh from their parents, who watched the transpiring scene with amusement and the twins as well.

"Alright then, what's first?" Danny asked, glancing on a pile, "Maybe this ones?"

There were two similar thick parcels.

"These are from Aunty Jazz!" Ellie exclaimed after reading the tag, before opening her present. Harry did the same.

"Jeez, another one?" He asked incredulously, looking at the thick psychology encyclopedia in his parcel. Ellie got the same one.

"Ah, dear Jazz, the same as always," Danny said, "I guess being the Hambridge Professor does that to people."

"What is Hambridge?" Ron asked.

"One of the most prestigious muggle schools," Danny simplified. Money for applying in university were mostly from the Ghost King's treasury, since Fentons' little business wasn't profitable enough. He remembered his 'parents'' faces for the rest of his eternal afterlife, when he handed his sister thirty fifty thousand dollars. He was sixteen back then, and for him to be richer than the rest of the family... Ah, childhood was sweet.

Harry's next present, a very small parcel, contained a note.

"Hey Fred, guess who sent this present," the second twin scrutinized his eyes, "Oh, Mom made him a Weasley sweater!"

Harry had torn open the parcel to find a thick, hand-knitted sweater in emerald green and a large box of homemade fudge.

"Every year she makes us a sweater," said Ron, unwrapping his own, "and mine's always maroon."

"That's really nice of her," said Harry, trying the fudge, which was very tasty.

Ellie got a large box of Chocolate Frogs from Hermione, which made her squeal in delight and Danny flinch after one of them jumped out of the box at him.

"Witchcraft," he muttered, earning a laugh from the others, especially from Ember, "It's not funny!"

"Oh, wait before Kitty will hear that," she wiped a tear from her eye.

"You wouldn't dare!" Ember smirked.

"Wanna bet? 'Lord Phantom is scared of candy frog', I already see the main headline of the newspapers."

"You are evil."

"I thought you knew that since we met as kids," Ember smirked.

"You mean that time you tried to take over the muggle world or that time you tried to fry me?" Weasleys' jaws dropped.

"Hey, if not for that goth chick I would have succeeded," she said cockily, "And I strongly remember that I kicked your butt back then."

"First two times, but I won in the end and every time after, didn't I?"

"Wow, wow, wait," Fred waved his hands rapidly.

"You were a dark witch?" George incredulously asked the blue haired woman.

"Yeah," Ellie answered, before hugging her mother's neck, "But Mommy is good now!" Ember smiled softly and ruffled her daughter's hair.

"Ah, love between the Auror and dark witch, what a romance," Danny smiled, before the kids grimaced, "Sheesh, you are too young to understand. Wait before birds and bees talk. Everyone must go through this suffering. Anyways, since your parents sent gifts to Harry, I guess it's fair to return the favor," he grinned, looking at Weasleys. He walked to the closet and looked inside, "Alright, where did I put them?" He muttered.

"What do you think that is?" Ron asked Harry, but received only shrug. That was Danny they were talking about. He was way too unpredictable.

"Ah, here they are!" Danny exclaimed, almost tripping over all the junk from the closet, which kept growing ever since their family had moved in London. His father's hate to throw away the old items came to him by heritage.

Danny held three long parcels in his hands and put them in front of the redheaded kids.

"Thankfully Boxy hadn't found them," Danny laughed, before making a 'go on' gesture. Weasleys opened the parcels and to say that they were surprised will be an understatement, "I heard that those brooms you are flying on are good for nothing. So, a little donation to the team is in order. And as for you, Ron, well, Harry told me you always wanted one of those," Danny shrugged, while Ron stroked his Nimbus with admiration.

"Wow, thanks, Mr. P!" Danny chuckled, he liked to be called like this. He turned to his son with a smirk.

"I expect your team to win, my boy."

"Hope it wouldn't be like last time, huh, Fred?" Both adults looked at George with confused expressions on their faces.

"What was during the last time?" Danny asked. Behind their backs, two kids were making a swiping motion across their necks, signaling not to say anything. Too sad George hadn't noticed.

"Someone jinxed Harry's broom and he almost fell on the ground," adults narrowed their eyes.

"Kids," Ember said slowly, while they tried to sneak out of the living room. They laughed nervously.

"Mind enlightening us?" Danny asked with crossed hands after putting coffee mug on coffee table.

"Well..." they looked at each other, before telling the whole story to their parents.

"And you decided that it is better not to tell us?" Ember asked incredulously.

"We..." Harry looked at his sister, "We thought that we will find proves first."

"You are just like your father," she shook her head, "He will first get smashed before he asks for help."

"And how your case is going?" Danny asked, still disappointed, but still curious.

"Eh...not much. We just think it's Professor Snape," Ellie answered slowly. Danny shook his head.

"It's not Severus, that I can assure you," he fell back on the sofa.

"Wait, you know him?"

"Sure do. He may seem as grumpy fruitloop, but that's life what made him like that," Danny unnoticeably glanced at Harry, who looked really surprised, "and certain people. Don't judge him for who he is now, he had enough of that all along," he said seriously.

"But he WAS chanting," Harry said confused. Danny hummed.

"Did your broom stop for some amounts of time?" He asked.

"Yeah..."

"Then he wasn't jinxing your broom. He tried to counter it. Well, we'll think about this later. Plus you still have Christmas immunity for punishments, and there are still presents from us to open," kids smiled too, really glad that their father wasn't angry at them. At least as much as they thought he will.

"Your punishment will be later," Ember added, breaking their sunny dreams. Danny chuckled.

"Alright, Harry, this is a special one," he smiled, taking out a small box and giving it to his son.

Harry took it with a curious expression and felt it. It was very light. He unwrapped it.

Something fluid and silvery gray went slithering to the floor where it lay in gleaming folds. Ron gasped.

"I've heard of those," he said in a hushed voice, dropping the box of Every Flavor Beans, "If that's what I think it is...they're really rare, and really valuable"

"Oh, yes, I kept it for special occasion," Danny grinned.

Harry picked the shining, silvery cloth off the floor. It was strange to the touch, like water woven into material.

"Wow, where did you get an invisibility cloak?" said Ron, a look of awe on his face, "Try it on, Harry."

Harry threw the cloak around his shoulders and

"Now look down," Danny said.

Harry looked down at his feet, but they were gone. He dashed to the mirror. Sure enough, his reflection looked back at him, just his head suspended in midair, his body completely invisible. He pulled the cloak over his head and his reflection vanished completely. He took it off, shocked.

"Wow, thanks Dad!" Harry said loudly. The smile on Danny's face became wider.

"There is something you need to know about that cloak, Harry. It once belonged to your birth father," there was a silence. A long, awkward silence. Harry was rubbing the cloak in his hands.

"Really?" Was everything he asked. Danny got up and walked towards his adopted son. He kneeled near him and they were the same eyelevel.

"Yes Harry. I found it ten years ago, three years before we two met."

-Flashback-

"Jeez, what a paradise," Phantom commented sarcastically after accidentally stepping into muddy puddle. He just needed to take on his white boots. It was a gloomy place, Godric's Hollow, what a name. Instead of being present at the annual Halloween party or spending with his wonderful one year old daughter, he was here.

His hearing caught a noise. It was a loud rumble of the engine. Looking up, he saw a flying...motorcycle? Ah, wizards and their quirks. Wait, what were they doing here in the first place? Danny growled, the last thing he wanted is to be involved in this foolish war they had. Killing each other just because some guy didn't like their blood. Is he a vampire to be so picky about the blood? One time he would have intervene, but he hadn't considered himself a wizard, he didn't like them, and they treated him like nothing back home just because he wasn't able to cast most of the spells. Seriously, why would he need a spell to lift objects if a simple move of the hand was enough? Being half ghost has pros and cons. Thankfully the American Ministry was unaware about it until it was too late.

But he was getting carried to the side. Shaking miserable memories out of his head, Phantom started to look for needed house. His ghost sense picked some signatures coming from the graveyard, and...How come he hadn't sensed all this magic in the first place? There sure was more than enough, especially in...this house. Some nagging feeling appeared in his stomach. Something was wrong, but he felt just like six years ago, the feeling of something historical happening. Danny shrugged to himself and opened the rusty door, stepping inside the yard. It was quiet. Too quiet.

The door wasn't locked, which was surprising. On the inside was just as quiet as on the outside. Nothing interesting on the first floor, simple living space, nothing more. Ghost King floated on the second floor. And the first he saw, was a dead body. Phantom stood there, completely stunned. Of all the places he could be in, it was a place of murder. Shaking his head, he inspected the dead man closely. Killing curse, that much was undoubtful. That man was James Potter. Despite being out of this conflict, Phantom's ghostly spies were looking after both sides. He now lived there, and he needed to assure his family's safety. Standing up, Danny noticed a small flower on his chest. Someone was here, that's for sure. But that 'someone' hadn't had much time to bury the corpse.

There was nothing Danny could do, bringing dead to life was impossible even for him. He continued his exploring. The room he was in was apparently for a kid. A baby, judging from the crib. He sure will know, he has a baby too. There was also another corpse. Assumption was right, Lily Potter was dead as well. Not a sign of the child, though. The same person who put flowers on them seemed to take him. Then his eyes fell on a cloak on the floor. Maybe another dead, he couldn't say for sure. But traces of dark magic were noticeable, which strengthened his suspicions.

Then Phantom recalled why he came here. He walked to the adults' bedroom. There he started his search. He felt bad for looting in that house, but Clockwork said it was important, and he will not advice something ill. That was when he found the cloak. Invisibility cloak. Danny raised his eyebrow, but still decided to keep it. That was what he was searching for.

His hearing caught a loud crack of wizards' apparation. Briefly glancing out of the window, he saw a group of people in skull masks.

"Start searching!" One of them ordered. What for, was left unknown to Phantom.

He let out some ectoplasm, so he looked transparent and silvery gray, just like the ghosts wizards got used to. He just floated behind the Death Eaters and reappeared.

"Looking for something?" He asked innocently, lying in the midair. Dark wizards turned in his direction.

"Get lost, ghost," the leader spat.

"Now, now, no need to be so harsh. I'm merely asking," they went away from Danny. 'Just ignore him', they all thought. They couldn't do anything to a ghost. "Hey, I'm trying to build a conversation," he appeared in front of them with crossed hands, "I know your master kicked off, but that's not the reason to be rude."

"How dare you to speak about the Dark Lord..." Phantom looked at the woman.

"I say what I want, madame, I'm already dead," he said nonchalantly, before grinning widely. Lestrange growled.

"If I could, I would have tortured you until you lost your consciousness."

"Like with Longbottoms? Well, you may try to get me now," he downed his head close to her, as if asking for a slap or punch.

"I'm not so moronic, now get out of my way," she went past him, but then something happened. Phantom tripped Lestrange, making her fall in the mud. His leg became solid.

"What the..."

"He is a poltergeist!" Death Eaters stepped away from the ghost, who had a deadpan expression on his face.

"Poltergeist?" He asked incrediously, "Of all the insults I've heard, this is the most offending!" He punched the nearest Death Eater after teleporting next to him. "Can POLTERGEIST do it?! My last warning, get lost, or next time it won't be a simple punch," the wounded Dark wizard on the ground moaned, before getting up. His mask was crashed, so he took it off, revealing a man with gray eyes and white-blond hair. Danny tried to recall his name. Something screaming about him being the bad guy...Ah, Lucius, yes that was it.

Dark wizards hesistated, before finally deciding to attack. They started shooting their spells. The air was filled with red light, but Danny graciously avoided the blasts, one of the Death Eaters became an unlucky victim of friendly fire. Thankfully for him, it was a simple Stupefy. Phantom looked at his pocket clock. It was time to feed his baby girl. He sighed, he was having fun around there, for goodness sake. Phantom charged the deadly green blast and shot it at one of the dark wizards. He fell on the ground from the strong shot. He hadn't moved, which led the Death Eaters to the only logical assumption, this Poltergeist just shot a CURSE.

Phantom grinned toothily, before going at his opponents. He was blocking the hits with the shields he was creating with a move of his hand, before responding with the blasts of his own. He wasn't worried. Only South American shamans knew the way to fight against ghosts.

"Avada Kedavra!" A green blast MANAGED to break the shield and hit him, but...

"Did you really just shot killing curse at the GHOST?" Phantom rubbed his temples, before shooting back. The woman ducked out of the shot.

"Retreat!" Lucius ordered.

Phantom watched as the Death Eaters started to apparate away with loud cracks. He broke laughing. That was fun, he hadn't any fights for a while. No one even challenged him for a throne. Danny became solid again, before teleporting away, completely unaware about the witness in half moon spectacles, who watched the whole ordeal with huge interest.

-Back in the future, But later-

"Danny, we need to talk," Ember said seriously. They have already accompained their kids and Weasleys to the Hogwarts Express and were back home alone.

"Yes," he said, not looking up from his paperwork, scribing something on them. Ember narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Danny, look up at me," she said, sitting near her husband's desk. He did as she told, putting his pen on the table.

"Something is wrong, Em?" Danny asked.

Ember sighed. "I'm just worried about the kids. I know you don't suspect your buddy, but there is still someone after Harry. I don't want anything to happen with him."

Danny picked up the pen again and continued to scribe something. "I don't want that as much as you, hon. You have something particular in your mind?"

"Well, you can go there and find out who that bastard is for example," Phantom smirked widely.

"Funny," he raised the list of paper, before the letter dissappeared in green fire, "I had the same thought."


	12. Chapter XI: The King arrives

"My dear friends, I'm sure it was an accident," Fat Friar said. Other two house ghosts looked at him almost annoyed.

"Friar, 'accident' is when something happens unintentionally," Baron crossed his hands, "Peeves did it three times for TODAY."

"I have to agree with Baron," Sir Nicholas added, "Poor first years, what they will think of all of us."

"I actually heard that the princess helped him do it," Baron shrugged.

"Oh, Merlin. You can't be serious."

"Yes I am. I guess we shouldn't be surprised. She is McLain's daughter after all. And Phantom is known to love jokes as well."

Suddenly a letter appeared out of nowhere and flopped on Friar's head. Everyone blinked in surprise. How it managed not to pass through his body? Hufflepuff House ghost took it into his hands and examined it. Friar gasped in shock.

"What's in there, Friar?"

"Th-this is a letter...from His Majesty!" He exclaimed, looking at the black 'DP' stamp.

"Speak of the Devil," Baron deadpanned.

"What does it say?" Nicholas asked with a huge interest. With shaking hand Friar broke the stamp and took out the list of paper. His eyes ran down the narrow writings, and with every line his eyes were widening more and more.

"He...he is asking for our permission to come in Hogwarts!" Friar answered, his voice rising more and more after every word.

"What? Give it to me," Baron snatched the letter and read it, "Indeed, he is. How shall we respond?"

"I think other ghosts should anticipate in this discussion as well," Nicholas commented, much to the Slytherin ghost's dismay. "But in my opinion we must agree," he continued, "This may be only once in the afterlife opportunity!"

"Then we should get the others," Friar added, before flying through the nearest wall.

-Later-

"Okay, so I finally got the whole orange line, so I'm gonna build a house," Ellie grinned, putting a green plastic house on the needed square.

"Ugh, I will never understand this muggle game," Daphne complained, "Why can't you build a house while having one street?" Ellie shrugged.

"That's just the rules," Hermione added. "Otherwise it will be too simple," she said, before looking at her white haired friend, "Why Monopoly, though?" Hermione asked.

"'Cause it is a maaagical Monopoly," Ellie waved her hands slowly.

"Everything magical here are the figures moving by themselves," Daphne deadpanned.

"So?" Ellie asked, "It's your turn, by the way."

Daphne sighed, before throwing dies. Her silver boot jumped seven squares forward. Hermione was looking around while her friends were trading for the Trafalgar Square. She noticed how bypassing ghosts glanced at their princess, whose title was yet unknown to anyone living besides Harry.

"What's that about the ghosts?" She asked.

"Whaddya mean?" Ellie raised her eyebrow.

"They keep looking at you, that's weird," young Phantom looked around, and the ghosts abruptly turned their heads away.

"Well, there is nothing weird about the looks," she shrugged, "I kept getting them since I came here. And Harry, too..."

"And you are fine with it?" Daphne asked.

"Totally. I love attention," Ellie grinned, popping out her tongue.

Meanwhile in the Griffindor dorms Harry and Ron were having the same conversation.

"Mate, I'm serious, ghosts keep looking at you all the time," Ron said. Harry sighed, rubbing his temples.

"They always do it all the time, Ron," he looked at his scroll, which he hadn't even started yet.

"Yeah, I know, since your Dad seems like a big guy among them, you still hadn't explained why, by the way. But now they are getting really weird," Harry sighed again.

"Look, Ron, I'm really busy now. Let's talk later."

Ron groaned, but left him alone.

It felt like the professors wanted to kill them with all the homework they assigned. It was even harder for Harry, since he was also a member of the Quidditch team. Wood was working the team harder than ever. He was excited, if they won their next match against Hufflepuff, they would overtake Slytherin in the house championship for the first time in seven years. Harry had a feeling that his father will not forgive a lose against badgers.

But a spoonful of tar spoils a barrel of honey. Wood informed the team that Snape will be referring the match. Despite what Danny said about him, Harry still disliked 'this greasy git'. And the feeling was mutual, that much was obvious. However, he seemed to praise Ellie more and more. He wondered if that had something to do with Danny and Severus knowing each other and Snape realizing that Ellie was actually Danny's daughter. In a good way, apparently. It wasn't concerning Harry, though. For him Snape was just as bad.

"Hey bro!" Harry jumped in surprise and fell on the floor.

"Ellie," he groaned, "How much do I need to ask not to do that?" She just peaked her head through the desk. Ghost girl giggled and phased inside the dorm.

"Oh, c'mon, you should have seen your face!" She flipped in the air, holding her stomach.

"You can't be here, what if someone sees you?" Harry looked around.

"What? Is that forbidden to visit my lil' bro?" Ellie pouted.

"I...I don't actually recall anything about that," he answered, "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Well, Daddy said to practice ghost powers when I have time. It's duplication now, and this duplicate is bored," she pointed at herself.

"I don't think I can help you here," Harry shrugged, "I still need to finish an essay."

"You still haven't done it?" She asked incredulously.

"Jeez, you spend too much time with Hermione," Ellie snorted.

"Soo, have you noticed that ghosts seem suspicious?"

Harry groaned. "Not you too."

Ellie fell on the nearest bed and sprung widely.

"I dunno about you, bro, but I'm gonna find out."

There was a loud thud. Siblings turned to the door and saw Ron standing there with a shocked expression on his face, and a pile of books on the ground.

"Hey Ron," Ellie waved.

"You...what are you doing here?!" He exclaimed, before Harry covered his mouth.

"Not so loud, mate," he said. Ron nodded mutely, before Harry removed his hand. Redhead just stood there with a dumbfounded expression on his face. Ellie narrowed her eyes.

"It's impolite to stare, ya know?" Ron shook his head.

"How...how did you get inside our dorm?" He asked.

"Hehe..." Ellie laughed nervously, glancing at her sibling for help, only to see Harry smirking, showing her that he will not help her get out of that mess. "I...got through the window!"

"Seriously? That's all you could think of?" Ron deadpanned, crossing his hands.

"Okay, fine, I came through the floor."

Ron narrowed his eyes. "If you didn't want to tell me, you could just say that."

He turned to the exit and already planned to get out of the dorm, but he was stopped by the ghost girl. She narrowed her eyes at the redhead, who was staring at her dumbfounded. Why? She was hanging in the air upside down, with her hair being pulled down by gravity.

"See? I can do a lot of things!" She said with crossed hands.

Ron only stared. And stared. He stared a bit more.

"Eh, pal, you alright?" Harry waved his hand in front of Ron's face.

"You...you are flying!" He exclaimed loudly.

"Yes," Ellie rolled her eyes, "Now, if you don't mind, I'm gonna solve the case!"

"Yeah, yeah, just go, ducktective," Harry said sarcastically. Ellie saluted, before going through the floor, leaving her brother to explain everything to his best friend. What a joy.

-Later-

A hooded figure stepped out of the train in a village Hogsmeade. It was the last train for today, the next one will be only tommorow. Danny took his way deeper in the village, and his cane was making measured sounds, hitting the stony pavement. Wizards and witches around tried to avoid this mysterious figure, his aura radiated power. And Danny couldn't help but be satisfied by it. He doesn't like all that folk. His kids may be one of them, but that did not imply eternal love for wizards in general.

Phantom went past the village border. Once he made sure he was alone, Danny became invisible and flew in the air. He was stunned by how beautiful this lands looked at night. And the first thing he saw was a giant castle near shining lake.

"So that is Hogwarts?" He mumbled. "I expected something more."

He flew further and to the castle. The wind blew in his face and he sadly admitted to himself that he wasn't flying just for the fun of it often. It just turned into the way of movement. Well, it wasn't time to become all angsty, so Danny just thought about something else.

While above the lake, he got some omnious feeling. Danny learned to trust his gut, so he preferred to fly higher than right above the surface. Plus he saw something big moving underwater. And his gut feeling was right, something came from there and tried to grab him.

"Whoa, easy there, sea product!" Danny exclaimed, before blasting the tentacle.

Local Kraken obviously didn't like it.

More tentacles came from underwater. Phantom avoided and blasted each of them, but they kept returning for more. Danny tried to just go away, but one tentacle managed to grab him once he turned his back to the beast. It yanked him down and straight underwater.

If Kraken, or at least what Danny assumed was a Kraken, tried to leave him without oxygen, then it failed miserably, since the half ghost didn't need to breath. In the full darkness of muddy water, only one glowing green dot, which was Danny's eye, was the only source of light. Phantom ignited his hand and he was able to see the ugly face of an overgrown squid. Thinking quickly, Phantom shoot an ectoblast straight into the beady dark eye of the beast. It immediately let go of the ghost and was obviously enraged. Danny used his intangibility, the tentacles phased through him, and a huge grin made its way on his face.

It was time to go. Once he turned around, Danny suddenly saw a light from far ahead. Curious, he moved to the source of light. It was a window to some regal looking room, with sofas, fireplace and everything. Weird. Phantom phazed inside, since there was nobody inside. Danny became intangible again, causing the water fall through him. He then grimaced from sudden smell. Danny looked around for the source of it, before realizing that it was coming from him.

"Great, now I smell like McFish," Danny said sarcastically, before perking up.

"Oh, c'mon, it was funny!" He heard an oh so familiar voice and became invisible.

From the corner came two girls and much to Danny's displeasure one of them was his daughter. It was time far past the curfew. "Filch doesn't seem to share your point of view," the girl near Ellie said, before the ghost girl laughed evilly. And heck, even Danny felt a chill down his spine. That was something she inherited from her mother, obviously. Then Ellie's ghost sense worked as the blue mist escaped her mouth. Danny stood there and didn't move. Ellie just shrugged.

"But you have to admit that our prank was hilarious!" She said.

"Yeah, I guess it was."

A small tear of pride escaped Danny's eye. They grow up so fast.

"Do you smell anything?" Ellie sniffed the air.

"No, what is it?"

"It smells like McFish."

"McFish?" Ellie yawned.

"I'll tell you tomorrow. M' tired."

With that two girls went to sleep, completely unaware about Danny's presence. He let go of his invisibility, before letting out ectoplasm and becoming silvery gray. He started to search for the Great Hall, where he should meet with local ghosts.

It was harder than Danny thought it will be. The castle was huge, as in HUGE. He didn't know for how long he was roaming in that damn building. He even was in some big creepy room down in the sewers, completely unaware what he found, and what will happen in that same room one year later. But, after avoiding one weird guy who looks like pedophile and didn't seem like one to be let near children, he finally found what he was searching for. Great doors for the Great Hall, Danny guessed and went through them.

For a long while Phantom hadn't seen so much ghosts in one place, when it wasn't some official event, that is. Different ghosts, wearing clothes from the epoch they died at. Despite how conservative wizarding society is, they still have changing fashion. One guy even had an axe stuck in his head...though Danny had a suspicion that it wasn't part of fashion. To get their attention, Phantom hit the floor with his cane a few times and every head turned in his direction with such speed that it was creepy.

Four ghosts floated towards him, while others just stared in awe at their king.

"I must admit, you know how to greet guest," Danny smirked.

"Y-your Majesty, m-my name is Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington," Griffindor ghost started nervously, "I...we all...are honored to meet you, sire," ghosts bowed deeply.

"Likewise," Phantom smiled and outstretched his hand, which Nicholas shook with awed breath. Danny looked around, "It's nice to meet all of you!" He said loudly.

"To say that we were surprised by your wish will be an understatement, milord," Baron said, "You are without the queen?"

Danny chuckled. "Sadly she is occupied at the moment, she is a rock star after all. Maybe she will come later. My paperwork can be done by skeletons, they are good not only to hold a sword," he grinned.

"Are you talking about your army?"

"It is time of peace, after all, I can always create more, anyway. So, I hope that you did as I asked?"

"Yes, sire. Nobody besides the ghosts knows about you being here," Danny nodded.

"Good, let's keep it that way. My kids mustn't know about it, either."

"But why?" Friar asked.

"What kid will be eager to have his parent come to school? I sure wasn't at the time," Danny chuckled. "I understand that you are obliged to inform the Headmaster, but I assure you that no harm will come to the students."

"We understand, Your Majesty."

"Wonderful!" Danny clapped his hands. "By the way, do you know where I can stay here? I still need to sleep somewhere, after all."

House ghosts looked at each other.

"There is actually a place..."


	13. Chapter XII: Meeting an old friend

"Flames, where is it?"

Danny was fuming. He wanted to sleep, he was hungry, and he still hadn't found that cursed room! Ghosts told him about the Room of Requirements, where he could stay in a place 'Worthy of his royal persona'. Plus, nobody knows about the existence of that room. Actually, they DID know about its existence, but were not aware where exactly it was. Even ghosts weren't, which made Danny's search last until the morning. By that time he fit more for definition of zombie rather than ghost.

He hadn't noticed a wall in front of him.

"Ouch," he yelped, before glaring at it. "I'm so sick of this!" He exclaimed in exasperation, before starting to stomp back and forward. "I am already sick of this castle, I'm sick of this halls, I'm sick of this damned corridor! All I want now is now a freaking bed and English breakfast! But noo, I must wander in this cursed building like drone, why the hell do they need so much space for a place with only five hundred students? Stupid british with their stupid pride and pafos! And why? Why so many turns which lead into dead ends?! What's their purpose? They only confuse the bypassers, all the turns are the same, so why? UGH!"

He punched the nearest brick and it was instantly covered in network of cracks, the dust covering his pearly white glove.

Suddenly a huge door appeared nearby out of thin air.

"Now that's what we call a coincidence," Phantom deadpanned with sunken shoulders, before yawning. "Well, I'm not going to complain."

Shrugging, he opened the door and could help but whistle in surprise. A huge room, which looked exactly like his bedroom in his palace. Everything painted in green, black and silver, like he was from Slytherin now when he thinks about it. Well, he still is a proud Horned Serpent of Ilvermony. Despite cold colors, it felt warm and homey for the ghost-now-adult. Everything what was needed was present in this room: a few soft armchairs near the burning fireplace, a desk from red wood with a chair near it. The only thing Danny was interested in, was a bed. A huge king-sized bed.

He jumped on it and spread his legs and arms widely. He was in his personal heaven right now. He hadn't noticed when he fell asleep.

Danny woke up much later because of the rumbling in his stomach. He still hadn't eaten since the yesterday dinner. Phantom got up groggily, rubbing his eyes and shaking away the rest of sleepiness. He glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was lunchtime already. Sighing, Danny got up. He needed to take shower first, since the smell of octopus hadn't gone yet. There was a bathroom with a jacuzzi. Heh, the room gives him just what he needs.

It felt nice to lie in a cold water for him, since the water above forty degrees will be boiling hot for him. That was rather uncomfortable during their...private moments with his wife. Anyways, once he was cleaned up, and took out new clothes from a desk near the bed, which made him chuckle in amusement, Danny flew to get some food. His attire consisted rich medieval clothes, which were meant to disguise him as some noble ghost who died long ago. Smart, very smart indeed. It will not fool his kids and Weasleys, though. But who knows? For five years no one guessed he was half ghost.

After becoming invisible, he got to the Great Hall, to which he thankfully remembered the way. It was full of students and food on four long tables. Its scent was amazing and caused a five level earthquake inside his stomach.

His eyes switched between two tables in two opposite sides of the Hall, where his kids were enjoying their lunch. He smiled slightly, since they seemed to have fun, Ellie for sure, if dancing pineapple was considered fun.

Then he looked at the Head table, where he eyed his suspects. Professor Dumbledore...Danny recalled what spies told him about that guy. He was the leader of the Order of the Phoenix during the last war...has a brother and had a sister...what else was there? Elder wand, right, one of the Deathly Hallows was in his possession. However, it was VEERY unlikely it was him who is after Harry. Scratch him out of the nonexistent list.

He looked on the next one, a very small one. Danny didn't know who was that guy. 'Hmm, alright, gonna look after him,' Danny thought. There were others, whose name he didn't know as well, but on who he was going to spy.

Two seats were empty, one of them Danny assumed belonged to Severus. Either he already ate or he still belonged to his own noir movie and preferred solitude. Most probably the second guess. If he knows Snape, and Danny was pretty sure he did, Severus is the one who never changes. He was probably the only one from local Wizarding community who Danny knew personally.

"Hmm, I wonder..." Phantom muttered. Yes, lunch could wait. Danny walked along the table and grabbed a chicken leg on his way. No one noticed how it dissappeared in the thin air.

During his night misadventure Danny found where the dungeons were, so he oriented pretty well. Not so hard, phase through the floor, phase through the floor of the kitchen, and voila, welcoming atmosphere of cold and dark corridors will greet you. Phantom went through the wall, and into the classroom. It was empty, because it was lunch. Danny went through another door.

Snape was sitting at the desk, eating his food thoughtfully. Phantom smirked, before leaning against the wall behind and dropping invisibility.

"After all this years you hadn't changed, Severus."

In one swift movement Snape got up and pointed his wand straight at him.

"Who. Are. You," Phantom raised his eyebrow.

"C'mon, Sev, don't tell me you don't recognize your old buddy," he smirked. Snape had seen this smirk only on one face, and only one person was brave enough to call him like that. You can't blame him for not recognizing Phantom. Last time he had black hair and both blue eyes.

"Daniel?" Snape asked with wide eyes. Danny's smirk only widened.

"You sure got older since the last time we met."

"Which can't be said about you," Severus said dryly, lowering his wand. Phantom chuckled.

"I take that as compliment."

"And you are as snarky as before," a ghost of a smile appeared on Snape's face, before instantly disappearing. "How did you get inside?" He asked seriously. Danny sighed.

"Simple," he started, before they situated on a chair. "You know I'm not a wizard in a usual meaning of that word. Do you remember what I can do?"

"Pass through walls, dissappear and fly," Severus recalled, "Now I see HOW you got inside."

"Yep. How are you doing, buddy?"

"The usual," Snape shortly responded.

"Still can't apply to DADA professor post?" Severus gave Phantom a deadpan look.

"Obviously. For nine years already. And what about you?" He was rather interested in what happened with Danny in ten years they hadn't seen each other. Danny shrugged.

"Same old, same old. How my kids are doing?"

"Your daughter is quite talented in potionmaking...did you just say kids?" Phantom raised his eyebrow.

"You mean you don't know? I thought everyone will be talking about that," Danny shrugged. Snape made an annoyed sigh.

"Will you ever answer without being cryptic?" He asked, rubbing his temples.

"Never, I guess, I spent too much TIME with the Old Man," Danny made a grin, which turned into soft smile. "I also must thank you for helping Harry during that Quidditch match."

That wasn't what Severus expected. Not at all.

"Why do YOU care about Potter?" He looked at Danny weirdly.

"Sev, he is my son, of course I DO care."

"Your WHAT?!" Severus lost his composure from shock. "Daniel, if this is some kind of joke..."

Phantom raised his hand, "I assure you, it is not. I'm his adoptive father."

"H-how could...You know what Potter had done to me! And to adopt..."

Danny's eyes dangerously narrowed. "Sev," he said strangely calm. "Need I remind you who MY parents are? I'll remind you, they are witch hunters. Didn't stop you from coming on friendly terms with me. No child should be responsible for the sins of his parents. I admit, James was a rare ass to you, but Harry hadn't done anything, he doesn't even know that much about him," his look saddened, "You should have seen little Harry when I found him. Why do you think he ran away from his aunt and uncle? I doubt that that was because of big love. I still remember the conversation we had."

-Seven years ago-

"Here you go, kiddo," Danny gave Harry a mug with hot chocolate, and the small boy happily grinned. The smell and warmth alone made him so happier, if that was even possible. Just yesterday he slept without dinner in a dusty cupboard under the stairs. Now he slept in a comfy bed in a guest room and was currently having a wonderful breakfast. Well, compared to what he usually ate, toast with butter were magnificent. It was the only thing Danny could make without setting the house on fire. Phantom told Harry that his wife and daughter were visiting friends, so they were alone in this big home.

"Thanks," Harry said. Danny meanwhile put a plate with food on the table and sat nearby, whistling a tune under his nose. Harry felt like he heard that tune before. He looked down at the steamy drink and tried to pick it up. He yelped loudly and hissed. Danny looked up abruptly from the newspaper worriedly.

"Harry, you alright?" He asked.

"It burns!" The boy exclaimed.

"Oh, of course it will," Danny muttered, "Does it hurt?" Harry nodded mutely. Danny sighed and put the newspaper aside, "Let me see your hands," Harry did as was told and outstretched his hands.

Danny examined his arms and couldn't help but narrow his eyes. He saw a few cuts, bruises an burns, and, being an expert in first aid, Danny figured that most of them were inflicted not long ago, one day maximum. The skin was rough, especially for a four years old. Danny rubbed his chin, got up and walked out of the kitchen.

Harry became worried. Was that so bad? And why Danny went away? Didn't he want anything with him because of that bruises? That can't be it, Danny seemed so very nice and kind, and Harry started to recall what he said when they walked to Danny's home.

"I thought I'll never find them," Danny returned back to the kitchen and Harry's concerns immediately dispersed and he brightened. What was sad is that his young uncontrolled imagination even got this dark ideas.

In his hands Danny held something white. Noticing Harry's confusion after sitting on a chair, Danny smiled mysteriously. He then took some bottle from his pocket. The white things in his hands were bandages. "Give me your hand," he said softly.

Harry gave his hand and Danny gently took it, sighing at how hadn't he noticed those bruises in the first place. "Brace yourself," he said, dripping the liquid from the bottle on the bandages. "It may sting, but you will feel better soon enough. Ready?" Harry nodded mutely, before wincing in pain when Danny started to wrap the bandages. He was careful, but this homemade potion wasn't painless. Phantom was quite qualified in potions, his abilities thankfully had not interfered with that subject.

He repeated the process with another hand. Harry let out a relieved sigh when Danny was done. "Here you go," he said with a small amused smile, when the little boy eyed the bandages curiously. "Now, let's deal with another issue..."

"Issue?" Harry asked confused.

"Yep," Danny said with a smirk, before poking the boy's belly and making him giggle. "Your chocolate has cooled enough already."

Harry carefully took the mug and it didn't burn him again. He was excited at the taste of delicious warm drink. He then eagerly munched the toast, then another one, being really hungry. And Danny had noticed that detail and started to worry. Now when he thought about that, how did Harry get all of these? At first he assumed that Harry was homeless, judging from the rags he was dressed in and also his starving figure...Now more grim thoughts started to cross his mind.

"Slow down, Harry," Danny said, before Harry stopped. "It's bad for your health to eat so much after starvation."

"Star...what?"

"When you hadn't eaten for a long time," he explained. "Harry, tell me, when was the last time you ate?"

Harry scrutinized his eyes in thought. "Three days ago," he said in a small voice. Danny's eyes widened in shock.

"Three days? No surprise that you guzzled down your breakfast so fast," he commented, the gears in his head spinning faster. Harry had a downcast look on his face, and Danny immediately understood why. "Oh, there is nothing to be ashamed of, Harry. Things happen," there was something in his low voice that easily comforted the little boy. "But..." Harry looked up at the man, "the question is WHY you hadn't eaten in three days. Can you tell me? You don't need to if you don't want."

"I...I dropped Dudley's clothes in mud. Aunty said I can't eat for that," he answered nevertheless. Luckily he hadn't noticed that Danny's eyes glowed with deadly green color, otherwise the color would have brought that strange memory.

"And for THAT, you were left to starve?" Phantom asked, dangerously calm. However, the ones who knew him could easily see that he was ready to rip ya a new one. Harry didn't know him that well, so everything he did was nod. "And...where these came from?" Danny pointed at the bandaged hands, meaning the bruises. He had a feeling he knew the answer, but to be sure...

Harry let out a sob. "I did work. Those were small things, but I couldn't do them!" He exclaimed. "Uncle didn't like when I couldn't do something..." he started to sob more as tears threatened to fall from his eyes. It was like an instinct, Danny hugged the crying child close to his chest.

"Shh, that's okay, Harry," he whispered soothingly, slowly running a hand through Harry's dark hair. "No one will hurt you. You are safe here, I won't let them get you."

"You promise?" Harry looked up with a tear strained face, and Danny felt his ice core melting into puddle and a smile appearing on his face.

"I promise, my boy," he said softly, petting the boy's back. "Don't worry, let it all out, you will feel better."

Harry sobbed a bit more, but started to calm down. "When Mommy and Daddy died in car crash I lived with them," he mumbled sadly, rubbing his arms. Danny wasn't actually surprised that Harry didn't know the truth. It wasn't so hard to understand that he was holding the Boy-Who-Lived. He considered telling him, but that could wait. "Uncle and Aunty are big meanies, they always hate me!" He raised his voice. "But they love Dudley, he always has what he wants! Toys, sweets, everything!" He threw his small hands in the air, which looked just too adorable. "He is meaner than anyone!" He lifted his rag a bit, showing a nasty blue spot. "See?"

Oh, Danny HAD seen, but kept his temper on a tight leash again. Everything he did was nod.

Harry saddened even more. "They called me freaky. Why did they do that? I'm not freaky, am I?" He looked hopefully at Danny, who had a small smile on his face.

Looks like they had one thing in common. He remembered his early years, how he wasn't able to do basic spells after the accident, laughing of the classmates and all disappointed professors' looks at the former most promising student...he shook away that thoughts. It wasn't the right moment to think about it, he had a child to comfort.

"Not more than I am," Danny answered, confusing the boy.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, making Phantom smirk.

"Just watch."

He showed him his palm. A small blizzard formed in it, causing Harry's eyes to widen in surprise. A small shining see-through crystal appeared. Danny smirked at the boy's awed expression. "C'mon, take it," he invited with a soft smile. Harry was hesitant, but curiosity took the best of him and he grabbed the crystal.

"I-It's c-cold," Harry shivered and Danny chuckled.

"Of course it is, that's ice."

"Woow," the boy breathed. "How did you do that?"

"I guess I have 'superpowers'," Danny said with a grin. He normally wouldn't show off, but what bad a small boy can do?

"You are a superhero!" Harry exclaimed excitedly.

"I was a superhero, that's right," Danny answered not so happily, but a small smile still stayed. "But...every superhero has to have rest. I moved long away from where I was born, found the woman I fell in love with and got a daughter. I think I deserved some rest, don't you think?" Harry was silent in thought. "Hey, what I wanted to say..." Danny situated the boy on his lap. "...is that no one will call you a freak here. Because you aren't. I am not. We are just unusual, that's all, but that's exactly what makes us unique. Look around, people didn't like me in the past, but what now? I became rich, got a family, and everything...EVERYTHING...because I never listened to them and I always looked forward. Unusual people had done the greatest things, who says that you are different?"

Harry suddenly hugged the young stark haired man.

"Thank you," he mumbled. "For everything, I..."

"Shh, that's okay, Harry. No need to say anything," Danny said with a loving smile. "Now let's get you cleaned up, hmm?"

It was amazing and unbelievable, how much in just one night and morning he grew attached to the boy. All the sympathy he felt for him...he couldn't feel other way, they both were so much alike. Danny himself once was just like the boy in his arms. Of course, he was older at the moment, but he hadn't anyone to guide him. Some were pitying him, some gave foggy advices, but to show him the way...There was Vlad, but Danny didn't want to do anything with that two faced pureblood, who, nevertheless disguised himself as muggle to gain wealth. Phantom did not agree with the fruitloop at all.

That's what made Harry different from Danny. He has a chance. Everything what was needed, is for Phantom to agree. And he already made his decision.

-Back to the present-

"And your family was fine with it?" Severus asked with a raised eyebrow.

"My parents don't even know about me getting married. Ellie, well, it took her about two minutes to start calling him brother. Ember WAS a bit reluctant. We had a serious conversation about it, and it took her some time, even if she had taken liking in him," Danny's face was split by a silly grin. "It was the most adorable scene...That's not what you want to hear about, I get it," he said once he saw Snape's not amused face. Danny sighed, running a hand through his hair. "My point is that Harry is a member of our family now. That's why I want to know who wants to kill him."

"Good luck with that," Severus said nonchalantly.

"You can fool many people, Sev, but not me. There was a reason why you saved him in Quidditch," Danny said with a trace of a smirk.

"Because I saved the student doesn't mean..."

"And since when you became a humble knight in shining armor?" Danny asked sarcastically. "It must be something else. If you don't want to tell, just say and we will close the topic."

"It's personal."

"Very well," Danny said nonphased. "Now, do you have any suggestions for who our plotter might be?" He asked, before his ghost sence went off. "Huh."

"Professor Snape, the Headmaster asked..." Baron phased through the wall, but stopped abruptly once he saw Phantom sitting in front of Snape.

"Hey, there," Danny smirked. Baron only stared.

"S-sir, w-why are you here?" He asked confused, "You yourself said..."

"Well, my plans had changed," Phantom looked back at Severus, who had a raised eyebrow and was looking curiously at him. "I'll tell later, Severus. Again, a lot of things happened since we met last time. But I believe that Baron wanted to say something..." Danny looked at the Slytherin ghost.

"What, ah, yes, Professor Snape, the Headmaster asked us to gather the Heads of the Houses."

"For what reason?"

"I don't know, we were just asked."

Snape got up from his desk, before looking at Danny seriously. "You better give me an explanation when I come back."

Phantom smirked, leaning back on his chair and putting legs on the desk. "Sure thing, pal. I will be here. But. Don't tell Dumbledore about me."

"Tell later?" Snape asked sarcastically.

"Tell later."

Severus walked out of the room, leaving a ghost and a half ghost alone.

"Milord, why did you contact Professor? I am not against it, but I'm still curious."

"Because Severus is the only one I trust here. Among living, I mean. He can help me a lot."

"You speak about the Professor like you are close friends," Danny smiled.

"Well, that's quite a story..."

A.N. I love writing about Danny's past in this story. That keeps me going.

Also, if anyone can teach me the mega power of linebreaks, PM me please, I will be really thankful.

Plus, YAHOO, two hundred followers! Thank you very much!


	14. Chapter XIII: A look in the past

"You know, I'm very curious about your methods, what did you use?"

"It was ectoplasm!"

"Of course." Eighteen years old Phantom rolled his ice blue eyes. "How else could you control those blobs? Quite pathetic, I must say, to use a gallon of rare liquid only to order around mindless and almost powerless ghosts. Ever thought about changing professions? Necromancy obviously isn't your thing."

The one he talking with was silent.

"What? Blood flowed to your brain?" Danny asked, loosening his grip a little, making the dark wizard yelp in surprise.

"Stop holding me upside down, you filthy mudblood!" He yelled.

"Hmm, too bad I find it funny." Danny grinned, before 'loosing' his grip again. "Ya know, wizarding vocabulary could use more insults, don't you think? I mean, how do you know if I'm muggleborn? I can be purer than you and the insult will no longer make sense..."

"For Merlin's sake, just drop me and get this over with!" The wizard shouted, looking down at suddenly welcoming stone road. He was so sick of that guy's talkative mouth.

Seriously, if he knew that committing that accursed dark ritual would attract Phantom's attention he would never have done it. That's how annoying the half ghost was. The wizard was ready to hurl by now, and had to admit that Danny was strong…strong enough to hold him for half an hour and interrogate him, not to mention that Danny took him down pretty quickly, which was humiliating.

"Drop you?" Phantom asked incredulously. "How can I do that to such an interesting conversationalist?! That would be double jeopardy! Too bad that Dementors can't keep a dialog for long."

The wizard knew where this was going.

"Your talent will go to waste, I'm afraid, but we have no choice, do we? Aurors will come here soon enough." he bound the wizard's legs with ectoplasm and dropped him on the roof, before doing the same with the rest of his body and gagging his mouth. "Don't go anywhere."

With that Phantom went back inside the building and inside the apartment of that rotten nightstand. Yeah, it was not the most pleasant place. There was a pentagram drawn on the floor with ectoplasm, books with dark magic and creepy artifacts on shelves. Well, Danny had a few minutes. After grabbing all the books in a pile he shot at them, and the green fire eagerly devoured them. Why did he destroyed the evidence? Well, the pentagram was enough, plus that moronic Ministry never destroyed the books and artifacts, which was just inviting someone to take them. Speaking of which, Phantom put some especially strong ones in his bag in order to destroy later or to use for something else. Weak or drained ones were left there; he felt generous today.

He felt something rustling under his legs. It was a burned piece of paper with a symbol: a serpent coming out of the skull.

'Weird,' Danny thought, before stuffing the list in his pocket.

After hearing footsteps Danny became invisible and jumped through the window, softly landing in muddy alleyway. He became visible again and calmly continued his way, twirling a cane in his hand and whistling a melody under his nose. He seemed like a white raven, being cheerful and upbeat while surrounded by the gloomy and suspicious folk of Knockturn Alley. The looks he was receiving were priceless.

Danny went inside a certain shop, Borgin and Burkes. It was a creepy and eerie place, filled with Dark items which somehow weren't confiscated by Aurors yet. Phantom put on a poker face, just what he needed for a conversation with that man.

"Ah, Mr. Phantom," a stooping man had appeared behind the counter, smoothing his greasy hair back from his face. He had a welcoming smile. Jazz once told Danny that when the smile was fake its corners were unwillingly higher than usual. Mr. Borgin fit that assumption perfectly. "I take it that you have completed your job?"

"Not exactly," Danny answered. "The ectoplasm you hired me to find was already used for a ritual," Borgin's smile quivered. "But I found some little additions for your collection." Phantom took some of the artifacts and put them on table.

The shop owner's eyes widened in shock at one of them.

"Opal Necklace..." he whispered, "How can you touch it? It's supposed to kill the one who does!"

Danny raised his white gloved hand – not lab ones like he used to wear, but normal leather gloves – and wriggled his fingers.

A look of realization crossed Borgin's face. "Hmm, you are quite thoughtful."

"I take it that we are even?"

"Yes, yes," Borgin answered not so happily, before flopping a bag with galleons on the table. "I must say, you do your money's worth, young man. Don't get used to the compliments, though, I'm not so generous with them." He was actually surprised that Phantom didn't demand more for artifacts he found.

"I understand," Danny said, "But I need something besides money as well." He took the piece of paper out of his pocket and showed it to the shop owner. "Are you by any chance aware what that symbol means?"  
Borgin took out a set of pince-nez and put it on. One look at the picture was enough for him to recognize it.

"Mr. Phantom, are you really not aware what it means?"

"I thought my accent clearly says that I am not from around here."

"Ah, yes, American," Borgin muttered. "Tell me then, what is your blood status?"

"Negative, fourth group, but if you ask about my ancestry...my family is quite old, even if we had a lot of squibs. A lot. Don't know why it is like that." It wasn't technically a full lie, as the Fenton family was very old.

"Hmm, and what do you think of muggles and muggleborns?"

Danny had a feeling that he knew where this conversation was going.

"I find it rather amusing to watch how they try to compensate their lack of magic. As for the muggleborns...I am neutral to all kinds of people as long as they do not bother me. I don't care if you're blood pure or dirty, if you stand on my way...well, you can guess what will happen."

Borgin hummed. Despite that man's...unusual outlook on the world, he seemed like a worthy and powerful addition to his cause. But he would require extra persuasion. "I see. Mr. Phantom, what I am going to tell you must not leave this building. A drawing on this piece of paper is a Dark Mark, the symbol of Death Eaters. Their purpose is to clean the world from mudbloods, who don't worth their gift and are a disease which needs to be gotten rid of."

"I'm more interested in how I benefit from it."

"Whatever you want, boy," Borgin said with excitement, "Wealth, respect, power in the newborn world, everything!"

"I...I'll think about it," Danny said with a fake smile.

"Wonderful. If you decide to join the cause, I am always here and I can contact the needed people."

Phantom went outside, his mind currently racing at neck breaking speed. He had heard about the Dark Lord creating an army of followers, but he didn't care about it before. He didn't care about other wizards in general. 'But when you are straightforward offered to start genocide...' Danny sighed. Of all places to move away from his parents, he picked the country on the verge of war. Things never went his way. Not that he was worried for his safety, but he only wanted to live peacefully.

Danny worked as mercenary of sorts. He did different errands which required fighting skills, and he was doing well. No one was ever prepared to fight against ghost powers, which brought an element of surprise. However, that dragon didn't seem to be bothered. Sometimes it was a rather shady job, like the one he just finished. Mr. Borgin asked him to retrieve what was stolen; it was pretty clear why he didn't want to ask Aurors.

Phantom's inner train of thoughts was interrupted by his rumbling stomach. It was lunchtime and Danny recalled that he hadn't had breakfast yet.

Leaky Cauldron was lively that day, full of chattering folk who hadn't paid attention to him and were enjoying their meals. Phantom leaned against the wall, looking for an unoccupied seat. Only one table was almost empty. With no other place to sit, he situated himself on a chair in front of the only occupant. Danny immediately noticed a very unhealthy amount of bottles of Fire Whiskey on the table. The man in front of him didn't look up from the glass, and Danny couldn't make out his face since it was covered by black greasy hair.

"Soo, you are a usual here, are you?" Danny tried to break the awkward silence.

"Get lost," was the short response.

"No need to act harshly, I would have done what you said if there was any other seat." Danny shrugged, "And that much alcohol can kill a giant, ya know."

"None of your business." The man looked up, narrowing his black eyes at the half ghost. Danny was now able to see his face: He had a hooked nose, sallow skin, and he wasn't older than Phantom, eighteen, but no more. Danny blinked, then again. He had seen this face somewhere...His eyes widened.

"Ancients...you are Severus Snape!" He whispered maybe too excitedly.

Of all things Snape expected, that was the last one. "How do you know my name?" He asked suspiciously.

"Are you kidding me?! Goodness, I read your work about properties of ectoplasm in potion making! It was amazing!"

That was an unusual feeling for Severus, to have someone fanning over him. But it was rather pleasant. He actually had not expected anyone to read his work. It was published in a small and unpopular journal just because they published it for free.

"I'm curious, though," Danny continued. "How have you managed to combine ectoplasm with bezoar? They are supposed to oppose each other."

"They do," Snape agreed. "That's why you need to add Cinnamon."

"And I was wondering why put it..." Danny shook his head with amused smile. "I really am clueless."

Phantom called for a waitress, before ordering food and a few bottles with butterbeer.

"I didn't know someone was reading that waste of paper," Severus commented sarcastically.

"Well, I do, can you sign it?" Danny took out the journal and a pen.

"No," Phantom pouted, before putting it away.

Severus took the glass and made a gulp. He noticed the weird look Danny was giving him.

"What?"

"Well...It's just strange. I mean, I hadn't expected you to sit in this place, drinking gallons of whiskey."

"And what did you expect?" Snape deadpanned.

"I don't know!" Danny said exasperatedly. "I just moved in this country. From that article you made I would have thought that you already gained some respectable post."

"Ha. Ha. Sorry to disappoint."

He prepared to make another gulp but Danny snatched the glass and replaced it with a butterbeer bottle.

"I doubt that alcohol helps to keep a good conversation," Phantom said.

Severus only mutely opened the bottle and poured the drink in another glass, while Danny finished the whiskey. It was good to have ghosts' immunity to poisons and questionable liquids. The pretty waitress meanwhile brought his lunch.

"Thank you," Danny said, before giving her a tip galleon and winking. That caused her to giggle, before she walked away. Phantom looked back at Severus, who was staring at him with an unreadable expression on his face. "What, it was just a tip."

"You gave her a galleon."

"A very good tip."

Snape sighed.

"Oh, don't give me that look," Danny crossed his hands, "I did my job well and have right to use my fairly earned money when I want to." He waved his fork in the air as if to emphasize his point.

Snape wasn't satisfied with the answer.

"You are playing with others' feelings," Severus scolded Phantom, who blinked, before breaking in laughter. "What's so funny?" He growled.

"I-It's just...are...are you serious? Oh, Severus, I'm not playing with feelings, it's just childish mischief, a little game you may say. That girl understands." He looked at the waitress who was waving at him, smiling teasingly. Danny only smirked. "I was here a few times before and she was flirting with almost everyone."

Snape didn't like this trait in his companion and Danny sensed that tension. He sighed, before looking at Severus and making a gulp from the bottle. "You know what one wise man told me a few months ago? That by clinging to the past we don't have future. I guess I'm trying to move on, but pathetically failing," Danny said with a sad chuckle.

"Move on from what?" Severus asked, curiosity growing inside of him. Danny gave another sad chuckle.

"When I was about...six years old, I got a friend, his name was Tucker. We were inseparable, had fun and got in trouble together. In school we were placed in different Houses, but we weren't bothered by it. I'm sure our pranks went down in Ilvermorny history," he gave a small nostalgic smile, before sighing. "I was constantly reminded that all this happened before with my parents and their friend, which Vlad enjoyed rubbing in my face."

"It all started with a girl, Samantha, but she will punch the living lights out of you if you call her like that. She preferred Sam. And what can I say, I fell in love with her. Her smile, beautiful purple eyes..." Danny made another gulp from the bottle. "She was stunning, and I was probably the only one who couldn't realize my feelings. Until a certain point. I was on cloud seven when we started dating. But that didn't last long. She was kissing behind my back with my friend of all people," the bottle got some cracks from his grip.

Severus couldn't help but notice similarities with his life story, besides a few details. And sympathy, the feeling he had maybe only towards Lily, unwillingly appeared for the man in front of him. He didn't show it, though.

"And you know, what's the most interesting detail?" Danny continued. "I'm not angry at Tucker or Sam now. I am saddened, true, but not because they were together, but because they lied to me for half of the year. I felt such a hatred for them both. I was patient, I went through that torture at home and later in school, and everything was only to be with her. If not for Sam, I would have moved away as fast as I could, what, as you can see, I already did. They could just tell me, I would understand and deal with it; I'm not kind of guy who can't let go of something. But no, that bastards preferred to f...ck each other when I wasn't looking," he finished his story in a bitter tone. "I never thought I'd be one of those people with a cheesy dramatic love story," Danny tried to cheer himself up.

"You aren't the only one," Snape mumbled and shut his mouth abruptly, hoping that Phantom hadn't heard anything. Too bad for him that Danny had sensitive hearing.

"Am I, huh?" He asked. "Mind sharing?"

Severus was silent.

"Hey, I told you about my life, and I won't tell about yours if that's what you are worried about. If anyone can understand you, it's me."

Snape sighed. Maybe he should tell him, but did he want to? He didn't even know this guy's name, for Merlin's sake. But, something told him that he had better share his story with someone. And he did. Severus told Danny about Lily Evans, his love for her and how he ruined everything. He told about James Potter and his gang of Marauders, and Phantom never heard so much venom spoken about any person before. What hurt Severus was that Lily preferred 'bratty Potter' in the end. All in all, it sounded very touching, Danny admitted, Snape could write plays if he wanted.

"...And that's why I sit here and poison myself with whiskey. It eases the pain," Severus finished.

Danny was silently tapping with his finger on table, his food already eaten.

"I see..." Phantom muttered, before getting up. "You know what, this booze will not get you anywhere. I'm currently working on one ambitious potion project; if you decide to join then we can achieve marvelous results. What do you say?"

"You won't take no for an answer." It wasn't a question.  
"Yep. I'm Danny by the way. Danny Phantom," he outstretched his hand for a handshake.  
And Severus shook it.

* * *

"Flames," Danny coughed loudly, "That wasn't supposed to happen," He waved away the smoke from his face.

"It might be poisonous!" Severus shouted, "We added doxy eggs!"

Phantom hit the button on the wall and a small fan cleaned the room from all the smoke. Two potion makers coughed the remains of it and took deep breaths. "Where did we go wrong?" Danny muttered, looking down their recipe list.

"Probably too much cowbane," Severus immediately offered.

"We already reduced its amount as much as possible. We still need it for the goosegrass to have any effect." Danny tapped with pencil on his temple thoughtfully. "But in the meantime cowbane and doxy eggs are ready to destroy each other..." he said longingly.

"It is a closed circle," Snape finished. Danny nodded.

"Yet, they all are essential for the potion," Phantom muttered to no one in particular, but Severus still heard it. "Maybe...leech juice?"

"It will be pointless," Snape answered just as quickly. "Unless..."

"We keep it at high temperature while adding Acconite Fluid," Danny grinned.

Severus smirked slightly. "Evanesko." He pointed his wand at the cauldron's contents and the muddy liquid vanished.

They started to repeat the process they created. With a help of the Aguamenti spell they filled the cauldron. Danny snapped his fingers and a green flame appeared under it. Severus was surprised when he had done it for the first time, but got used to it after few unsuccessful tries. The first boiling bubbles appeared on the surface, which meant that it was time to start. Danny emptied the small unnamed bottle with numbers, in order to add exactly needed amount.

Severus meanwhile chopped the mandrake root with no effort. Phantom mixed the leech juice with the water for a minute, before Snape evenly added new ingredient. "Last time we mixed clockwise and it blew up into my face. Shall we try the other way around?" Danny asked. Severus nodded. Phantom started mixing again.

"Where do you keep the Fluid?" Severus asked.

"Oh," Danny became green from embarrassment. Snape's eyes narrowed.

"You don't have one, do you?"

"No, I recall buying it, but I don't remember where I put it," Phantom answered thoughtfully.

Severus understood that he needed to find it quickly. How unthoughtful of them, they hadn't prepared all the necessary ingredients. He started to dig through the shelves until his eyes fell on the jar with silvery shavings. When Severus took it, he also saw something under it.  
There was a muggle photo, colored and not moving, battered on the sides. Severus instantly recognized a younger Danny; the only thing he changed since then was his hairstyle. Besides him was a taller girl with red hair and teal eyes wearing black jacket and jeans, who was hugging the obviously embarrassed boy. Near them were two adults in the strangest clothes Snape had ever seen, even for muggles.

"Severus!" Danny called, "Have you found it? We are running out of time!"

"Yes," Snape came to the cauldron, "We wouldn't have been in this situation in the first place if you prepared everything."

"Well, sorry, I got a little excited," Danny deadpanned.

Snape put three handfuls each after turn of the stick which was mixing the potion. A small black vapor was coming from it as Danny continued to turn the stick. "So basically we are going to wait until something happens?" He asked sarcastically.

"We don't know for how long, so yes."

After half a minute of silent work and expecting a miracle, Snape decided to ask his companion a question. "Who are these people?" He said, showing Phantom the photo.

Danny's eyes widened in surprise. "Where did you find it?"

"Under the jar with Fluid."

"And I was wondering where I put it..." Danny took the photo and looked at it sadly. He sighed.

"That's my family."

"You are a muggleborn."

"Well, that is an interesting story. Yes, my parents ARE muggles, just as my sister Jasmine. One day out of curiosity I did some research on my family history. We were a wizarding family centuries ago, but the magical bloodline stopped with just one squib. I don't know what family name was back then, but it was different that's for sure. That's pretty ironical, though, how ballistic was the change. My ancestors sure were sneaky little bastards," he chuckled. "John Fenton-Nightingale was a good example."

Severus' eyes widened."That blasted witch hunter?!"

"I take it you heard about him." Danny chuckled again. "Yes, he is my many times great-grandfather. Killed many muggles only because of a mere suspicion. People feared to do anything against him, just because he could accuse them of witchcraft and burn them on the stake. Died pretty funnily, a poltergeist dropped a wardrobe on him and killed. Since then my family oriented more toward spectral beings, but dislike for everything 'unnatural' still stayed."  
Severus understood where this was going. If everyone in his family hated magic then...

"And it finally came to me," Danny interrupted his train of thoughts. "I was lucky, however. They thought that all accidental magic was ghosts' doing. When Ilvermorny Headmaster found out about my...condition...he thought up a scheme and told my parents that he was in charge of a very prestigious boarding school. They were surprised, 'cause they expected Jazz to be invited...and not their biggest disappointment," he muttered angrily. "But they bought it. That's how I was studying. I told Jazz, though. She understood me, like always. She was covering for me so I could study at home too. It was like that for six years. Six long years."

"Six?"

"I was expelled. Not without reason, I have to admit. When I was fourteen...there was an accident. My parents, even if they were muggles, managed to scrap ectoplasm and prepare it for their experiment. Unfortunately, I was caught up in a middle, unknown to everyone. That accident changed something in me drastically."

"First of all, my wand didn't want to listen to me anymore. It looked like it hated me. I got a new one from a shady guy in purple cloak named Clockwork and I still can't figure out what it is made of, and he won't tell me. Second, even with a new wand I can't cast a first term spell. But...I became more skillful in battle magic and Dark Arts..."

"Did you?"

"Yep," Danny's hand glowed with deadly green light, "You DO know what this color means?" Severus nodded mutely with wide eyes. "I can do all unforgivables without a wand or even saying the incantation. And, as ectoplasm is ghosts' component, I can go through walls and become invisible, not to mention my other skills. And I was expelled because they suspected that I was learning all of this on purpose."

"And you are telling me this because..."

"You seem trustworthy enough," Danny shrugged.

"That's all? I can just tell Aurors."

Danny laughed. "And what? I hadn't done anything yet, unlike you."

Severus narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"You should hide the Dark Mark better," Snape looked down on his hand and immediately covered it. "Relax, Severus, my lips are shut, as long as yours are too. Just keep in mind that I defeated a lot of dark wizards before. Not to mention beings I destroyed, which had power beyond your imagination. Ultimate control over weather or people's dreams, plants and nature...I was just fifteen back then, and my power steadily grows. I could care less about you being the Death Eater, as long as your comrades don't bang on my door."

"It's strange that you are so open towards the one who is supposed to destroy people like you."

"Believe me, I can't say that I like either muggles or wizards. It isn't like I hate them, just almost no one of them did anything good to me."

Severus was silent, until he saw something.

"Daniel..."

"I know, I know, I just wanted to say..."

"Daniel!"

"Ok, if you want it that way..."

"DANIEL!"

A loud boom echoed through the basement as the dark smoke filled it. Danny repeated the process of ventilating the room.

"Well...looks like we will need to do it again..."

Phantom and Severus looked at the cauldron, only to see a golden vapor coming out of it. The smell was strange, but very good nevertheless. "Huh. Well, who takes the first try?"

* * *

"What is this?" Severus asked confused.

"THAT is the muggle's greatest invention of all time," Danny said with a grin, before handing his friend-for-three-months-already a controller, namely a small box with a stick and one red button.

"Let me present you, Atari 2600!"

"And where are the other 2599?" Snape eyed the strange construction in his hands.

"The name just sounded cool, I guess. Stupid commercial tricks," Danny muttered in the end.

"How is this supposed to work?"

"Well, electricity was the main thing, see that wire? It's connected to the main line. With its help the console sends the signals into TV, and we get an image on the screen," Danny took a smaller box. "This is game cartridge. All we need to do is plug it in." He put the cartridge into the console with a characteristic sound. "Aand turn it on." He switched the tumbler.

And the game in Atari Combat began.

"I fail to see what's entertaining here," Severus said after his tank was blown up again.

"Yeah, what did you expect? A game about Italian plumber saving a princess from dragon?"

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard," Snape commented, making Danny shrug. Suddenly a blue mist escaped his mouth. "What was that?"

Danny groaned. "Ghost sense."

"And?" Severus failed to see why Phantom should be bothered by it.

Danny jumped on his feet. "This one is too familiar," he growled, before perking up and hearing a whirring sound. "Get down!" he yelled, before the wall exploded, and the room was filled with dust and rubble. "Ancients, do you have any respect for private property?!"

"I wouldn't bother if I was you," a low voice said as two glowing green eyes were seen through the dust. "Your next living place will be a wall over my bed, whelp."

"You just made a good pun!" Danny exclaimed after getting up. "Looks like I'm being a good influence on you, Skulky."

Skulker's response was a charge of his ectogun.

"Expulso!" Severus casted a curse and Skulker was blown away by explosion. "What in Merlin's beard is he?!" He asked Phantom.

"Skulker, 'the greatest hunter of both worlds'. He is a ghost; usual battle spells won't affect him, so be creative," Danny warned, before his hand lit up with green light, while Severus prepared his wand.

"I see you got a new friend," Skulker said, flying back on his feet. "You sure will need someone to save your pelt."

Twin rocket launchers erupted from his shoulders, but before he could shoot, Danny teleported close to him and threw a powerful punch. He couldn't let him blow up anything else. Severus was impressed by his friend's physical strength. He just hit metal and didn't care. Skulker sure felt it, since the punch was directed in the face. Danny grabbed his opponent by his costume.

"Meet you outside, Sev..." He shouted before the two phased through the nearest wall. Severus got what he meant and ran out of the house.

Skulker managed to land a hit to Danny's jaw.

"Wow, Skulker, you seem to be losing your touch." Danny smirked, wiping the green blood from his mouth. "You could knock me out before with a single punch in the face."

Phantom created a green shield, effectively blocking the blast from Skulker's ectogun. Danny shot at him in response, but Skulker flew to the side using his jetpack. He activated his rocket launchers and rockets flew straight at Danny. He jumped high in the air and caught one of them in midflight. Phantom turned it around and gave it an extra push. Skulker's eyes widened in surprise, but he managed to avoid the explosion. The rocket hit the nearest police phone boot.

"How am I supposed to explain this, you moron?!" He completely forgot about the second rocket.

"Evanesco!" Severus appeared in the alleyway and made the rocket disappear.

Skulker growled. "Get lost, wizard. That doesn't concern you."

"You almost killed me. So it does. Confringo!"

Orange, fire-like blast escaped Severus' wand and hit Skulker dead on. It was a powerful explosion, which knocked the robotic ghost into the wall, creating huge cracks on it and the armor was torn in pieces.

"Brutal," Danny commented, "But let's finish this."

"How are you going to finish a ghost?" Phantom smirked.

"I have my ways."

He walked to the battered suit and examined it for a moment. "Ancients, I wish I knew that spell long ago," he chuckled. "Alright, come out, you pathetic excuse for a ghost," Danny tore the head of the suit and shook it rapidly. Much to Severus' surprise, a small green glob with red eyes fell out of the head. The glob tried to run away, but Phantom shot right in front of the small ghost.

"Turn. Around," he snapped.

Shaking Skulker did as was told. "H-hey, Phant-tom, how are you doing, buddy?"

"Better than you," Danny said with narrowed eyes, which flashed green for a moment. Skulker understood that he is in deep trouble. "Now pray tell, how did you find me?"

"I don't know what you are talking about..." Phantom moved his hand and Skulker was thrown to the side. "ARGH! What was that for?!"

Danny grabbed the small glob in his hand. "That was for crashing my house. Now, are you ready to answer or I'll need to squeeze tighter?"

"O-okay! That boomerang thing! It led me here!" But then where was...

"Ouch!" Danny yelped after the device hit him in the back of his head. "Thanks for the save," he deadpanned, making Severus shrug with a small smirk.

"And how did you get it?" Phantom continued interrogation.

"Pfft, your parents are real morons. They hadn't noticed it was gone."

"Now what to do with you..." Danny looked back at Skulker, before instinctively reaching for thermos. Only to find none.

"Oh, you are without your little toy, huh?" Skulker laughed. "What are you...AAH!" Danny squeezed tighter. "Stop it! I know something else!"

"Speak," Phantom loosened his grip and dropped him on the ground.

Skulker was gasping for air, even if he didn't require it. "I am not the only one looking for you, whelp. Many will come, powerful ones. They all want to challenge you."

"Why?"

"You mean you don't know? Well, you'll find out soon, 'my lord'," Skulker cracked up a laugh, before running away. Phantom was too stunned to stop him.

"Daniel, what did he mean?"

"I don't know, Severus, I don't know."

* * *

Snape wasn't happy. Of all the Death Eaters to send, Dark Lord decided to send Grayback of all people. He had a rather nasty experience with werewolfs, and one was standing right in front of him, with his look just yelling 'I'm a bad guy and wild beast'. Just wonderful.

"For what reason you are here?" Severus asked coolly, closing the Prophet in his hands.

"We need Polyjuice potion," Grayback said. "And you can make it."

"I can."

"To last for a week without turning back."

Severus' look hardened."I don't take ingredients out of thin air. Even then I'll need at least a few months to make enough."

"Malfoy will take care of expenses. And our Lord can give you only two months to finish. You know well that better not to disappoint him," Grayback suddenly sniffed the air, "And why do you smell like a freaking corpse?"

"That's nothing of your concern," Severus answered. "I have been...experimenting."

Apparently he was hanging around Danny so much that his scent was strong enough to be noticeable. Fenrir seemed satisfied with the answer and went out of the small apartments Severus was living in.

Snape looked into the distance in contemplation, not about agreeing or disagreeing, Voldemort didn't take no for answer. Contemplation was about how to make so much in so little time. Well, he got an idea.

* * *

"So let me get this straight, Sev," Danny said slowly, before yawning. "Your boss wants you to make a weekly amount of the potion which requires a month to finish a few portions that last only hour."

"Yes," Severus took a gulp of strange drink Phantom always offered. It had a very good taste.

Danny shook his head. "I don't understand why you are loyal to that pompous wacko," Snape looked up at his friend. "Hey, you have to admit it. He IS pompous."

Severus looked back at his glass. His friend always has his own look at the world. Rather amusing and truthful look, he had to admit.

"Danny, where are you?" Snape heard an unfamiliar female voice. He raised his eyebrow, while Danny smiled softly.

"In the kitchen!" He shouted.

A young woman walked into the room, yawning widely with outstretched hands. She had a beautiful face, pale skin and long blue hair tied in ponytail. The woman was wearing only a male T-shirt with nothing under it, and black panties. That view made Severus feel rather uncomfortable; he felt like he wasn't supposed to be here. The woman kissed Danny on the cheek and put her head on his shoulder. "How did ya sleep?" She asked with closed eyes.

"Just fine," Danny kissed her on top of her head. "You?"

"Like baby. I was really exhausted after yesterday because of you. Maybe we should go and have fun again?" She smiled seductively.

"Uhm...Em, we aren't alone."

Ember's green eyes snapped open and only now she noticed that there was a guest. Her cheeks flushed bright green.

"Oh...hey there," she smiled. Severus raised his eyebrow, but kept quiet.

"Hmm," Danny broke the uncomfortable silence. "I guess it's time to introduce you to each other. Strange why I hadn't done it earlier, oh well, I still wanted to do it. Ember, that's Severus, my best pal. Severus, that's Ember, my fiancé."

Snape's eyes widened in surprise. It hurt him a little that Danny hadn't told him earlier, but Severus indeed was very busy. Still, they became close because of the loneliness they shared.

"Returning to the matter at hand," Phantom continued. "You can count on me, pal. But...I need you to do me a small favor as well."

"Which is..."

"I know that you are not in this kind of things, but I wanted you to be my best man at our wedding."

Severus was too shocked to say anything at first. Ember was surprised too; Danny hadn't told her who will be the best man. "But...Don't you have a sister for that?" Snape managed to say.

"Despite how much she wants to attend, Jazz cannot go, too much work," Danny answered sadly,

"So, what do you say?"

Snape sighed heavily. Danny was right; of all the activities to do, attending a wedding was the last thing he saw himself doing. He had to admit that the blue eyed manipulator obviously knew how to always surprise someone. And he had an order to complete so this wedding would just distract him. But there was one serious factor.

"I don't have a choice, am I?" Severus said then sighed.

"You are absolutely right, my friend," Danny grinned.


	15. Chapter XIV: The first suspect

"I hate you with passion."

"Now, now, Sev, no need to react like that. It's a celebration, so let's celebrate!" Danny exclaimed, blowing on a party horn.

"How much times I warned you about eating too much sugar?" Severus rubbed his temples.

"Hey, I can't get drunk, so let me at least get diabete. Oh, wait, I can't get even it. That sucks," Snape facepalmed. "What? Illness makes life interesting!"

"So you say."

Severus was able to understand his friend's happy attitude. He was getting married, after all, he probably would have felt the same way, just not so overemotionally like Danny always reacted. Honestly, he never looked like the man who suffered a lot in his life. He was like your distant relative who makes things awkward for everyone around. Thank Merlin that Phantom was merciful enough to let Severus wear wizarding robes and not that choking muggle costumes.

Danny has already brought him to some questionable places. He called this a 'Traditional boys' day out'. A very strange tradition, he had to admit. They had the most weird drinks English capital could offer. As Danny bluntly put it, English food can kill and pubs can bring back to life. Some of those cocktails costed more than the whole Severus' apartments. He didn't question how Phantom acquired so much money, because he had a feeling that he didn't want to know.

"Aanyyways," Danny said longingly, "Em gives concert in the evening and until then we can do whatever we wish. Any offers, hmm?"

He made a gulp of his drink. Severus sometimes wondered why he was still friends with this eccentric, if a slightly insane, man. Maybe because opposites attract. And Danny was also a good specimen for new potions, since negative effects somewhat didn't work. Moral says that he shouldn't do this, but Daniel never complained, completely opposite, he was eager to learn if something could harm him. That sounds disturbing when Severus thinks of it.

Despite the fact that Snape has no liking of muggles, Phantom managed to bring him on public. He didn't like all the stares, hypocritical, in Severus opinion, they were wearing clothes even more strange.

"I don't know," he answered. He really didn't, muggle world was something unknown to him, just as their customs.

"Hmm," Danny rubbed his chin. "Very well, do you know any WIZARDING activity?"

"I'm not the kind of man to answer that," Severus deadpanned.

"Yes, I guess you are," Danny said bluntly and thoughtfully, before raising a coke can.

Severus snatched the can. "Enough. You drank ten already."

Danny pouted, crossing his hands. "Fine! But can I..."

"No."

"Ugh, you no fun, man."

Danny was such a child sometimes, then again, he was still on sugar highs. Severus was also disappointed that he can't drink something strong. At least one of them needs to have a clear head or they could do something they both might regret later. Danny was babbling excitedly about some muggle stuff, and in the unstoppable flow of words Severus had a hard time to understand everything. But Daniel always listened what Snape had to say, so it was fair to return the favor. But their conversation was interrupted by the familiar voice and not in a good way.

"Oh, I just can't believe how small this world is."

'Merlin, no,' Severus mentally groaned, while Danny just raised his eyebrow and tilted his head at the newcomers.

There were two of them. The first guy had shaggy black hair and gray eyes, while the second one had light brown hair and green eyes.

"What do you want, Black?" Severus asked the 'shaggy hair'.

"Nothing much, just seeing old friend Snivelus. How are you doing?"

Severus glared at the young man. "Much better before you appeared. Without your leader for once? I'm actually surprised."

Now Sirius glared.

"And you are with your Death Eater friend?" He looked at Danny, who crossed his hands and narrowed his eyes in response.

"Don't Death Eaters wear dark robes and lame masks? I certainly don't wear any," Phantom smirked, pointing at his white and red T-shirt and blue jeans.

"Sirius, maybe we should go?" The second guy asked his friend.

"Wait, Remus, I am now very curious," Sirius answered.

"We should go," Remus whispered, completely unaware that Phantom could hear him properly. "We are on the order mission, you can't talk with a Death Eater!"

Danny only now noticed something...strange about Remus. This nervousness, attitude like he drank too much coffee and then watched horror movie without sleeping, and finally this weird animalistic vibe his ghost half smelt.

'Looks like we are dealing with a werewolf,' Danny thought.

"Maybe..." Sirius said longingly, before smirking. "Hey, Snivelus, have you heard that Evans and James are getting married?"

That was it. Severus took out his wand and pointed it at Sirius' throat.

"You seem to have lost the feeling of self preservation, Black. You know perfectly well I'm out of your league. So get lost before I turned you into a frog."

"Oh, we will see about that," Sirius took out his own wand.

Danny looked at Remus, who was watching the scene with wide eyes.

"I propose to stop them from killing each other, what do you think?"

Remus nodded. "I agree."

Danny looked around for any crowd, and finding none, he swiped his hands and two wizards were pushed in opposite directions. Remus and Sirius stared at him with a mixture of shock, awe and worry.

"Who the heck are you?" Sirius asked.

"Daniel Phantom, Count of Aragon, Duke of Camelot, Lord of...nevermind that one, need I go on?" A list of paper was summoned. "Because the list is pretty big."

"My apologies, oh mighty pureblood," Sirius said sarcastically. "Now get lost and let me kill this..."

"Oh, I doubt it," Danny's eyes glowed with deathly green light. "You better leave my friend alone. After all, I can kill YOU even without a wand. Consider it wisely."

"We were just going to go," Remus said, moving his friend out of danger and giving a small thankful look to Danny. With that they were gone.

"Dirty cowards," Severus spat, lowering his weapon.

"I can recognize coward everywhere, but they don't seem like that," Danny shrugged. "Most probably they know that they don't stand a chance against two of us and don't want to take chances," he gave his mark carefree grin, patting his friend on a shoulder.

At that Severus smiled slightly.

-Present-

Snape walked through the corridors of Hogwarts castle with only one thought in mind: 'What did he do this time?'

It was obvious for him that the one who caused all of this mess was sitting in his cabinet right now. Despite the fact that Phantom was a damn half-ghost, who can become invisible whenever he wanted, he barely could be called stealthy.

And as if it wasn't what Severus wondered about, he thought about his friend. It was true they hadn't seen each other for eleven years. And there were reasons for that. He was ashamed for the mistakes he made. Danny kept telling him that keeping anger for Marauders won't get him anywhere, and that it will only make matters worse. In example he showed himself. Despite how parents treated him, he tried to get on good terms with them, even if it was always fruitless. Severus thought it was stupid, they didn't deserve forgiveness, just like Marauders.

He thought that Danny was too naive if he thought that people like them can change. But then Severus had to admit that this childish man was wiser than he looked. Snape has done horrible things, he didn't want his only friend to know about them.

In his thoughts he hadn't noticed how he got to the gargoyle corridor. Severus said the password and walked upstairs. Inside the Headmaster's room were already standing the Heads of the Houses, along with Dumbledore himself.

"Ah, Severus, here you are," he said with a usual twinkle in his eyes. "Now when everyone is here, we may begin."

"Professor Dumbledore, what's the reason of this meeting?" McGonagall asked. "Lessons are about to begin."

"I assure you, there is a very important matter we must discuss. There is a trespasser on Hogwarts grounds."

Of all the professors, Severus was the only one who wasn't shocked. But since he always kept a neutral face, no one paid attention to it.

"There is no way of knowing how and who exactly has trespassed, but we need to stay on guard."

"Maybe we should tell other teachers?" Professor Flitwick squeaked.

Severus remembered Danny's words, and since he also had suspicions of his own, he decided to intervene.

"That will not make any good," Snape said, confusing everyone besides the Headmaster, "The less people know, the better. The more people know, the possibility that the trespasser learns about us acknowledging his presence is higher."

"Are you suggesting that one of the professors has something to do with this?" Mcgonagall asked incredulously.

"What I'm saying is that once the word reaches out of this room, it will spread. If the trespasser won't be too cautious, it will be easier for us to capture him."

"I agree with Severus," Dumbledore responded. "For now let's keep it in secret, I want you to watch over anything suspicious. But before you go, does anyone want a lemon drop? I have just recieved plenty."

-Later-

"Alright, Daniel, I waited enough and you better explain this."

Severus stomped into his room, but didn't see anyone in there. He looked around, before hearing a voice above his head.

"Up here!"

Severus looked up and saw that his friend was hanging under the ceiling.

"What in Merlin's name are you doing there?" He sighed, rubbing his temples. He received only shrug.

"Dunno, I guess I was bored. But you want answers," he hopped on the ground without making a sound, "So I'll give you them. Where should I start, though..." he hummed, tapping on his chin. "Well, I've learned about a few ancient laws of the Ghost Zone. I won't go into details about how political system works in there. Just the fact that the Ghost Zone is ruled by both the King and the council. And both must be present, the first one to hold the entire dimension from falling apart, and the second one to assist to rule a state this dimension has become."

"So you became a politician," Snape came to the conclusion.

"Yeah, I became a politician," Danny deadpanned, rolling his eyes.

"I never took you for a type."

"Yeah, I was surprised when I heard it, too. I don't look much like a royalty, am I?"

"You."

"Yes."

"A King."

"You are completely right."

"You aren't the most mature type."

"I heard that so many times," Danny rolled his eyes. "Severus, I can be mature when needed. I simply don't see the need to be oh so serious when I'm with my family or friends."

Severus sighed.

"Guess that explains why the ghosts are ready to faint at your sight."

"Ghosts cannot faint, dear Severus. You may outsmart me in potion making and defeat me in a duel once, but leave everything concerning my subjects to me. You don't seem surprised at all, why so?"

"You surprised me so many times that I got used to this. I take it that you found out about your ancestors?"

"Not yet, not yet," Danny mumbled, drumming on the hands of the chair with his fingers. "I became the King by a right of conquest. I didn't know I could do that, but not knowing the laws doesn't free me from them. So, I either become a ruler of the entire race or doom it into oblivion. My decision was obvious."

Before Severus could say something else, his eyes fell on the clocks. The lesson was about to start.

"This conversation isn't over, Daniel, but I need to return to my duties," Snape got up.

"That's fine. Meanwhile I'll start searching for anything that seems out of place. By the way, do you know where my kids are now?"

"First year slytherins have transfiguration right now. And your son...Merlin, it will take some time getting used to."

"Sev, please don't make me start on this again. I'm just asking you not to be so harsh on Harry. Me and Ember raised him like he is our own, and Harry is nothing like James, I'm sure of that. I look at him and see my younger self..."

"The world won't bare two of you," Severus said sarcastically, but with a slight smirk on his face. "He is at Quidditch practice. You won't miss the stadium."

Danny laughed fullheartedly after the first remark. "Oh, just get lost, you bookworm."

Severus went out of the room, hiding his amused expression. What he missed the most was their constant banter.

Once he was gone, Danny got up from his seat, before becoming invisible. He flew up from the room and got to the surface. The first thing he noticed was the climate. Wet and muddy environment was a constant reminder about yesterday rain. Danny himself was fine with it, he didn't feel any cold since his core had developed. But Harry was affected by this, and as every parent Danny was worried about his son's health. If by any chance he has a conversation with Dumbledore, Phantom will 'ask' him about this, namely demand answers.

That's why Danny disliked most of the wizards, with Severus being a rare exception. Their foolish arrogance annoyed him beyond measure. Even the brightest and most 'tolerant' ones think that the magic can solve every problem. Flash news, it cannot. Wizards may had had an advantage in the past, against swords, bows and even muskets, but now muggles have created a weapon which can turn the entire world into dust, completely losing the feel of self preservation in the process.

Even if you know how to heal the plague, it doesn't mean you should just walk in there and catch it. Danny also didn't understand why muggles organized sport matches when a rain was pouring down at them. Phantom finally got to the stadium, before sitting on one of the tribunes, invisibly, of course, eagerly looking at the Griffindor Quidditch practice. He never was a fan of the game, but if Harry was training, then he would watch.

It was hard to find him in a mess of yellow and red, but Phantom eventually found his son. Much to his pride, Harry really was natural at this. Danny remembered how Harry envied his sister that she could fly. Now he had a way to fly as well. Not as thrilling as floating on your own, but it was still a flight.

'That's my boy,' Danny grinned, leaning back on his seat.

"Would you stop messing around?" Some serious looking guy shouted. Danny caught what he said only because of his sensitive hearing. He got a feeling that that was a captain.

"That's exactly the sort of thing that'll lose us the match! Snape's refereeing this time, and he'll be looking for any excuse to knock points off Gryffindor!"

George Weasley fell off his broom at these words. Danny meanwhile narrowed his eyes.

"Snape's refereeing?" George spluttered through a mouthful of mud. "When's he ever refereed a Quidditch match? He's not going to be fair if we might overtake Slytherin."

The rest of the team landed next to George to complain, too.

"It's not my fault," said Wood. "We've just got to make sure we play a clean game, so Snape doesn't get an excuse to pick on us."

'Severus never was the one to care about his reputation,' Danny shook his head, before getting up.

He would have watched over Ellie if not for one fact - she had a ghost sense. Untrained and unrefined, but she still could make out what ghost exactly was following her if given enough time. That's why he asked the other ghosts to watch from the distance. Now it was time to spy on the teachers. He was actually eager to do that. He was interested in British teaching methods.

-Later-

"I think it's a bad idea," Harry said grimly.

"Hey, don't worry, lil bro," Ellie grinned and enveloped him in a bear hug, "You'll do great, just play as you usually do."

"I guess I'll try," Harry sighed. "Wait...how did you get in here?"

Ellie giggled nervously, before perking at the sound of someone's approach and becoming invisible.

"Good luck," she whispered, before phasing out of the Griffindor changing room.

Immediately, Wood came from behind the corner.

"Don't want to pressure you, Potter, but if we ever need an early capture of the Snitch it's now. Finish the game before Snape can favour Hufflepuff too much."

"The whole school's out there!" said Fred, peering out of the door. "Even, blimey, Dumbledore's come to watch!"

Harry's heart did a somersault.

"Dumbledore?" he said, dashing to the door to make sure. Fred was right. There was only one other person with such a beard, and Clockwork couldn't be there for obvious reasons.

Harry sighed in relief.

Meanwhile in the special judge room Snape was conversing with his friend.

"Yeesh, Sev, if you keep fuming like that you will melt the wall," Danny said, before sipping a coffee from his cup.

"Well, how am I SUPPOSED to feel? I'm being interrupted from my researches only to be a judge in the game I never cared for."

"The Old man is probably worried that something happens again."

"But you aren't," Snape stated the fact.

"That's because I'm certain that our suspect, whoever he or she is, is not THAT stupid to do the same trick again. And if something happens, I'll sue this school in such a hellhole that it won't be able to crawl out from it," Danny made another gulp of coffee nonchalantly.

Snape was actually shocked at that.

"You wouldn't," he said.

"Oh, I will, dear Severus, and I'll do a favor for everyone. I already saw a lot of things which can kill the students and no one does a single thing about it. But, that's the most drastical decision, I'm sure you will be able to do something. Plus, I also will be here in case something actually happens."

Severus went out of the room without response.

Ellie and her friends situated on the seats by now. By a mere coincidence, they got the seats near Ron, the fact which made Hermione less than happy. But the ghost girl, being a manipulative and sneaky little thing, made her friend sit right beside the redhead. Because holding a grudge for several months was unhealthy. If someone could read her thoughts at the moment then he would have heard only evil laughter. Sadly, they didn't talk with each other.

"Ouch!"

Someone had poked Ron in the back of the head. It was Malfoy.

"Oh, sorry, Weasley, didn't see you there."

Malfoy grinned broadly at Crabbe and Goyle.

"Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on his broom this time? Anyone want a bet? What about you, Weasley?"

Ron stayed silent. Ellie would have said something snarky, but she was looking at Harry, who was circling the game like a hawk, looking for the Snitch.

"You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?" said Malfoy loudly a few minutes later, as Snape awarded Hufflepuff another penalty for seemingly no reason at all.

"It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then there's the Weasleys, who've got no money – you should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains."

Neville went bright red but turned in his seat to face Malfoy.

"I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy," he stammered.

Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle howled with laughter, but Ron, still not daring to take his eyes from the game, said, "You tell him, Neville."

"Longbottom, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something."

"That's why you need so much money, Draco?" Ellie said, finally looking away from the game and narrowing her eyes at him. "So no one will notice your lack of brains?"

"Ellie, look!" Hermione turned her friend's attention back to the game.

Harry had suddenly gone into a spectacular dive, which drew gasps and cheers from the crowd and streaked towards the ground like a bullet.

"You're in luck, Weasley, Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground!" said Malfoy.

Ron snapped. Before Malfoy knew what was happening, Ron was on top of him, wrestling him to the ground. Neville hesitated, then clambered over the back of his seat to help.

"Come on, Harry!" Ellie screamed, leaping on to her seat to watch as Harry sped straight at Snape – she didn't pay attention to Malfoy and Ron rolling around under her seat, or the scuffles and yelps coming from the whirl of fists that was Neville, Crabbe and Goyle, or Hermione's attempts to stop them all.

Up in the air, Snape turned on his broomstick just in time to see something scarlet shoot past him, missing him by inches – next second, Harry had pulled out of the dive, his arm raised in triumph, the Snitch clasped in his hand.

The stands erupted; it had to be a record, no one could ever remember the Snitch being caught so quickly.

-Later-

"So...Quirell?" Danny asked Severus, rubbing his chin.

"I believe so, DADA teacher is being changed every year, except that there aren't any changes in the staff for plenty of years," Snape responded, sitting in his chair.

They were back in his cabinet, discussing what they had found. Not much on Danny's side, he spent the entire day looking for anything suspicious, but without success. And he was NOT going to spy at night after a bunch of elederly men and women. That thought alone made him shudder in horror.

"Is that the only thing which makes you suspect him?" Phantom continued.

"I'm saying that he must be the first one on the list of suspects, that's all," Severus waved his hand nonchalantly.

He then smirked. "That's why I arranged a meeting in the forest."

"One step ahead, eh?" Danny deadpanned. "I'm tagging along, then."

"Have it your way, just make sure no one notices."

Some time later they went to the meeting place, with Phantom invisibly floating behind. They walked out of the Hogwarts grounds and deeper into the forest. Danny heard a lot of concerning sounds, which obviously didn't belong to the normal animals. He started to watch for some animals desiring to eat them. How the founders of that school came to decision to build it near the dangerous forest full of beasts? That was beyond the ghost king's understanding. British didn't seem to care about their safety at all.

They found Quirell under one of the trees, looking, as always, a nervous wreck. He noticed Severus, when the potions teacher approached him.

"I d-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-places, Severus …" he stammered.

"Oh, I thought we'd keep this private," said Snape, his voice icy.

Quirrell was mumbling something. Snape interrupted him.

"Have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?"

Danny raised his eyebrow. Severus hadn't told him anything about any beasts.

"B-b-but Severus, I..."

"You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell," said Snape, taking a step towards him.

"I-I don-t know what you..."

"You know perfectly well what I mean. The Philosopher stone, you seem to be more interested in it than needed. You are doing more than Dumbledore ordered, you have done your little bit of hocus pocus. I'm waiting."

Danny perked up at the sound of moving leaves. He looked up but saw nothing. Actually, he didn't have time to look throughly, because he heard something else. It sounded like hooves hitting the ground. It was far enough, but he had to warn his friend. Danny tapped Severus on shoulder.

"Centaurs are coming," he whispered so Quirell couldn't hear.

"B-but I d-d-don't..."

"Very well," Snape cut in. "We'll have another little chat soon, when you've had time to think things over and decided where your loyalties lie."

He turned around and walked back to the castle.

"Hm, that wasn't very informative," Danny commented. "I guess I'll have to watch him more closely."


	16. Chapter XV: Detention

**A.N. Alright guys, you waited long enough. How could I abandon my most rated story? Now go on and enjoy, hope it fits your expectations.**

"Harry! Where are you?" Ellie called, before being shushed by Madam Pince.

Last time she remembered, Harry planned to study with Ron in the library. Since her own friends were busy with studying as well, Ellie was on her own right now. So, she decided to help her lil bro with his homework. But first Ellie had to find him. Unlike the others, she wasn't really bothered by the approaching exams. Why not, she was preparing as usual, it wasn't like all the knowledge was just going to fly out of her head and jump out the window.

Between having fun with her friends and tortu...pranking the ones who weren't her friends, Ellie tried to find the reason of the ghosts' strange behavior. Fruitlessly, sadly. They just stuttered something and tried to get as far as they could. She wasn't pestering...much, but her detective carrier obviously was having a rocky start.

Ellie kept looking around in search for her brother and soon found him sleeping on his book. Grinning, young Phantom tip toed to Harry

"Wake up Harry, you missed your Quidditch match!" She called.

That got an immediate reaction from the boy. Harry's eyes snapped open as he jumped on his seat. "What?! Why..."

Ellie burst laughing, rolling around on the floor and holding her stomach. Harry's face gained a deadpan expression.

"Haha, very funny," he said, rubbing his eyes and fixing the glasses on his face. "What time is it?"

The ghost girl shrugged. "Two pm. You slept through the entire morning."

Harry groaned. "Just great, quarter of my weekend has gone under Behemoth's butt."

Ellie sat on a seat nearby and tilted her head. Her long snowy ponytail fell on her shoulders. "Where is Ron? You usually stick together."

Harry pointed at a huge pile of books near him. For some reason, several books were rising and falling as a snoring noise was heard from there. Ellie took some and Ron's ginger head showed up from under the pile. Ellie giggled slightly, before looking at what her brother had written.

"Watcha doing?" She asked.

"Snape ordered us to write a scroll about uses of dittany," Harry rubbed his forehead. "Sometimes I wish for the Internet."

"I don't think there is an info about it," Ellie noted. "And do you remember one of Daddy's rules?"

"Don't say 'I wish' out loud, yeah, yeah," the boy rolled his eyes.

The girl brightened, "I know the book about it, be right back," she rambled before running off.

Soon she returned with a big green book in her hands. "Here we go, 'One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi', just what ya need. Should we wake up Ron?"

"If I'm going to suffer, then so will he," Harry shrugged, before giving his friend a shake.

Ron grumbled under his nose, but got up nevertheless. Rubbing his eyes, the redhead noticed that they had company.

"Oh, it's you," he mumbled.

Ellie rolled her eyes. He still couldn't get over the fact that she was in rivaling house. The girl crossed her hands and huffed.

"C'mon, Ron, she has found the book we need," Harry said.

"What's the point? I'll never remember this," Ron burst out, looking longingly out of the library window. It was the first really fine day they'd had in months. The sky was a clear, forget-me-not blue, and there was a feeling in the air of summer coming.

Suddenly, something caught Harry's eye. A large figure in brown fur coat. He recalled it was that guy who lead them to the Great Hall at their first day in Hogwarts. Ellie followed his gaze and beamed.

"Hey, Hagrid!" She waved her hand, getting the man's attention. "What are you doing up here?"

"Jus' lookin'," he said, in a shifty voice that got their interest at once. "An' what're you lot up ter?" He looked suddenly suspicious.

"Uhm, we are studying..." Harry said, not being certain about this himself.

Hagrid gave him a strange, but nevertheless warm look. "Good, you need to study."

"Wait, how do you know each other?" Ron asked.

Ellie blushed slightly and looked at her legs. "I caught 'er sneakin' into the forest," Hagrid answered instead.

Yes, the girl wasn't the one to follow rules, must have come from her mother. And honestly, Danny wasn't the best example of obedience either. It was understandable to a degree in their case, they were people others listened to. Ellie was too curious for her own good, she wanted to see centaurs. And no matter how hard she tried to convince Hagrid that she could protect herself, the half-giant still didn't let her roam freely around the dangerous forest. Thankfully, Ellie convinced him not to tell professors about that.

Hagrid was wary of the girl at first, since there was no mistaking of the green and silver outlines on her robes. But her sweetness outweighed any suspicions the half-giant had.

Harry facepalmed, and Ellie hugged him with one hand. "You will understand when you get older, little brother," she said.

"By that you mean I have to wait five more days? What a tragedy," The boy responded with fake dramatism.

"I know, bro, I know," Ellie hugged him tighter.

Despite being seemingly embarrassed, Harry let out a small chuckle. Hagrid smiled slightly beneath his beard at seeing the siblings' exchange. Harry seemed to get along with his foster sister. And if the boy was happy, then so was he.

"Well, it was nice meetin' you, 'arry. I won't interrupt your studies."

With that Hagrid shuffled off.

"He is a nice guy, isn't he?" Ellie smiled.

Harry nodded absentmindedly, thinking about something else.

"What was he hiding behind his back?" He said thoughtfully.

"I'm going to see what section he was in," Ron volunteered. He had enough of working. He came back a minute later with a pile of books in his arms and slammed them down on the table.

"Dragons!" he whispered. "He was looking up stuff about dragons! Look at these: Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland; From Egg to Inferno, A Dragon Keeper's Guide."

"Woah," Ellie got stars in her eyes. "Pet dragon? It's so awesome!"

"But it's against our laws," said Ron. "Dragon breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709, everyone knows that. It's hard to stop Muggles from noticing us if we're keeping dragons in the back garden - anyway, you can't tame dragons, it's dangerous. You should see the burns Charlie's got off wild ones in Romania."

Siblings looked at each other, before bursting into laughter. "What's so funny?" Ron asked.

"We saw one close," Ellie started.

"Granted, Dora was rather pissed off, but Dad managed to reason with her. She is very nice," Harry finished.

"Does Aragon count?" Ellie asked, looking at her brother.

"Not really, Dad beated him up, remember?" Harry answered.

Ron's jaw dropped. "No. Way."

Yes, an image of easygoing fellow he got accustomed to during Christmas holidays didn't add up with someone who could take down a dragon all on his own.

"Yes, there is," the siblings said at the same time.

Ellie was the one to blame. She was the one to drag them towards Hagrid's hut later that evening. She was bored, and the boys were unlucky to get on her way. Also, Ellie really wanted to see a baby dragon. The girl knocked on the front door and started shifting on her legs impatiently. Soon the door opened slightly, and Hagrid peaked outside. "Who is there?" He looked around.

Ellie giggled. "Down here, Hagrid," she waved her hand.

The half giant looked down and his look turned a bit nervous. "Oh, Ellie, what're you doin' 'ere?"

The girl beamed. "We wanna see the dragon."

Hagrid looked baffled. "How did..."

"The books you have taken from the library are about dragons, so we assumed that's what it is about," Harry responded, scratching the back of his neck, suddenly embarrassed about barging into generally stranger's home.

"Alright, come in, but don't tell anyone."

The second the three students entered the hut, Hagrid shut close the door behind them.

It was stifling hot inside. Even though it was such a warm day, there was a blazing fire in the grate. Hagrid made them tea and offered them stoat sandwiches. When the gruff man turned away from Ellie, who swiped the hand through her neck, gesturing for them not to touch sandwiches, theatrically showing poisoning. The boys decided to follow her advice.

"Hagrid, can we have a window open? I'm boiling," Ellie asked.

"Can't, Ellie, sorry," said Hagrid. Harry noticed him glance at the fire. He looked at it, too.

"Hagrid...what's that?" He asked.

But he already knew what it was. In the very heart of the fire, underneath the kettle, was a huge, black egg.

"It's an egg, silly!" Ellie said, without any intent to insult.

"Where did you get it?" said Ron, crouching over the fire to get a closer look at the egg. "It must've cost you a fortune."

"Won it," said Hagrid. "Las' night. I was down in the village havin' a few drinks an' got into a game o' cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get rid of it, ter be honest."

"But what are you going to do with it when it's hatched?" said Harry.

"Well, I've bin doin' some readin' , said Hagrid, pulling a large book from under his pillow. "Got this outta the library, Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit, it's a bit outta date, o' course, but it's all in here. Keep the egg in the fire, 'cause their mothers breathe on I em, see, an' when it hatches, feed it on a bucket o' brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour. An' see here, how ter recognize diff'rent eggs - what I got there's a Norwegian Ridgeback. They're rare."

He looked very pleased with himself, but Harry didn't.

"Hagrid, you live in a wooden house," he noted.

But Hagrid wasn't listening. He was humming merrily as he stoked the fire.

Then, one at the evening, Ellie got a small note from Hagrid. He had written only two words: It's hatching. It seemed that Hagrid wanted someone to see the result of his work. Ron, being strangely excited about seeing the dragon's hatching as well, wasn't worried about going out so late. Ellie was fine with it, but Harry always was the responsible child, despite being younger.

"I don't think Dad would approve of us breaking the curfew," Harry tried to reason.

"Oh, come on, mate, when else we can see a dragon's hatching?"

"Quiet!" Harry whispered suddenly.

"What's wrong, bro?" Ellie asked.

"Malfoy."

He was right, there was no mistaking of that ferret. The snob was on a sizeable distance between them now, but occasional glances from the boy promised nothing good.

"How much do you think he heard?" Harry asked.

"Aside from his own gloating?" The ghost girl said and raised her eyebrow, causing Ron to snicker.

Harry sighed. "I don't like the look on his face at all."

"And I don't like his face."

As the sun had already hid behind the horizon, covering everything in darkness, the kids hurried through the grounds to the edge of the forest. Maybe they could Hagrid greeted them, looking flushed and excited.

"It's nearly out." He ushered them inside.

The egg was lying on the table. There were deep cracks in it. Something was moving inside; a funny clicking noise was coming from it.

They all drew their chairs up to the table and watched with bated breath.

All at once there was a scraping noise and the egg split open. The baby dragon flopped onto the table. It wasn't exactly pretty; it looked like a crumpled, black umbrella. Its spiny wings were huge compared to its skinny jet body, it had a long snout with wide nostrils, the stubs of horns and bulging, orange eyes.

It sneezed. A couple of sparks flew out of its snout.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid murmured. He reached out a hand to stroke the dragon's head. It snapped at his fingers, showing pointed fangs.

"Bless him, look, he knows his mommy!" said Hagrid.

"Aww, can I pet him?" Ellie asked excitedly.

Hagrid beamed and nodded. "Go ahead."

"I'm not sure about that..." Harry warned.

The ghost girl didn't listen and outstretched her hand to the small beast. The dragon suddenly moved its head under Ellie's finger, allowing her to pet it. The girl grinned and looked at Harry with a smug expression. The boy crossed his hands.

"And you are his Daddy, I take it?" He asked sarcastically.

Ellie's face gained a deadpan expression as her shoulders sank. Alright, that was a good one. She then noticed that Hagrid suddenly looked pale. The girl followed his gaze, just as Harry and Ron. There was an unmistakable blond head, which ran away from the window immediately.

"We are doomed," Harry and Ellie said.

Some time later, unknowingly to them, their father was less than a mile away. In a Room of Requirements Danny was holding a phone close to his ear, while pacing around. Bless ectopowered techs.

"Yeah, I know, Em, let's not get overdramatical," he said.

"You call me overdramatical?! Why am I the one to sort out the mess you have let behind?"

Danny sighed and rubbed his temples. "I haven't left any mess, hon, it appeared AFTER I have left. I specifically sorted out all the remaining matters. I'm sorry for dropping everything on you just like that, I'll take care of all paperwork, promise. Just send them to me."

Ember sighed too, but Danny could feel a small smile on her face. "Alright, dipstick, you are forgiven. How are kids doing?"

The stark haired man smiled and chuckled. "Just fine. Ellie is getting the highest grades. I think her new friend Hermione is having a good influence on her. Harry is working hard, too. If only he had payed as much attention on usual lessons," he muttered.

"Danny, you can't expect him to always follow your footsteps."

"I get it, I get it. He never showed any interest in politics or science. I just want both of them to learn about the world. It is not run by magic, you know. We talked about it already."

"That you are against the whole idea of sending them into wizarding school?"

"Yep. But, knowing how wizards operate ever since going into hiding...they would have bombarded us with owls and then broke our doors if we didn't respond."

"Now you are overdramatizing."

"For some reason I think not."

"Danny, you are just being an overprotective yourself, I get it. But there is no need to jump from one end to another."

"Who are you and what you did to my wife? Em, you are the one who asked me to be here."

"I know what I said. I said that you should watch over them, not lock them down until everything miraculously sorts out."

Phantom sighed, running a hand through his stark hair. "I wasn't planning to. I think I've found our main threat anyway. I'm just waiting for Quirell to slip. I can't straight up get to the Headmaster and say 'Hey, your professor worships WizNazi Führer who, probably, is still out there, and I doubt he is strolling through Alpine flower fields, singing yodel.' Isn't the most believable story."

Ember couldn't hold back a snort of laughter. "You and your jokes."

Suddenly Sir Nicholas floated through the wall on top speed. Danny noticed that. "I'll call you later, hon," he ended the call. "What's wrong, Nick?"

"Your Highness, Professor Quirrel is gone, we can't find him!" Nick rambled in panic.

"Woah, woah, calm down, buddy. Is he after Philosopher's stone right now?"

"No, we have checked the place. Nothing is touched. Also, Friar has seen some figure going towards the Forbidden Forest."

Danny put one hand on his chin and another on his belt. "That's not good," he muttered. "And my kids?"

"Baron should have searched for them."

And just as he said it, the silvery ghost flew through the wall as well. "Your Highness, there is a problem."

"Why am I not surprised? What is it?"

"The Prince and the Princess got a detention. Just now."

Danny rubbed his face. "What have they gotten into, now?"

"They broke the curfew," Baron said slowly, "That's why they...must stay after the curfew in the Forbidden Forest..." the ghost realized how ridiculous that was.

"What?" Phantom anything but snapped.

"Well...it's still better than it was a few centuries ago. I still remember being locked in the stockades when I was studying here," Nicholas shivered.

"You British have a weird sense of humor," Danny deadpanned. "Guess I'll have to go there."

"Be careful, Your Highness. Different creatures live there, and not all of them are friendly."

"I will."

Danny jumped through the wall outside, before flying in direction of the forest. He WILL have a talk with the Headmaster. No one dares to endanger his children.

A few meters below the ground, in Slytherin dorm, Ellie was about to leave for her detention.

"I can't believe you lost us fifty points," Daphne grumbled.

"Hey, it's not my fault, Malfoy ratted us out."

"Still, you were out during the curfew. Besides, it's not like he didn't get his part,"

They snickered. "I get it, I get it. Hermione has already given me a lecture. That was worth it."

Daphne groaned, since her friend has completely lost the point. The white haired girl just couldn't notice the looks fellow Slytherins were giving her. They already disliked her, but Ellie still didn't see or didn't want to notice that. Well, at least she got it easy compared to what Griffindors thought about her brother. Slytherin lost hundred points, because of her and Malfoy, but their opponents lost hundred and fifty. Before Daphne could say anything else, Ellie was already out of the room.

The white haired girl went through the corridors. Even if the light day was getting bigger, it was still dark in such time. The corridors were almost empty, just some couples who snuggled outside to be in private. Ellie grimaced each time. Suddenly she heard a voice behind her.

"Hey, Ellie!"

The girl looked back and saw Hermione quickly approaching her.

"Wassup, Mione?" Ellie smiled.

"Oh, I was just passing by. I just stayed in the library for too long. Going on detention?" Hermione asked sympathetically.

"Hey, don't worry. It's not like I'm being expelled."

The curly haired girl situated the books in her hands and shivered. "Do you want me to go with you to the entrance?"

"No, no. I will be fine own, thanks. You may be late to the curfew."

"Alright, good luck."

"Bye!"

The girls went different paths. On her way Ellie saw the certain blonde, who was slowly and unenthusiasticaly walking where the detection was going to take place. Just great, speak of the devil. Then she grinned evilly and sneaked closer. The girl then poked his side and Draco jumped in fright on a meter away. Ellie burst laughing, holding her belly, while the blonde glared at her.

"Should have known it was you, Phantom," he spat.

"You should have seen your face!" Ellie kept laughing, wiping a tear from her eye.

Draco reddened and stormed away angrily. Ellie was nearby, no matter how fast he walked. It was starting to get scary, but thank Merlin they soon got to the entrance hall, where Filch was waiting for them, along with Harry, Ron and Neville. How it came to this was a long story, which involved a dragon, an invisibility cloak, cabbage and kings...alright, not the last ones.

Once Danny left the castle's territory, he got to the forest. Phantom walked through the shadowy trees, not liking the grim atmosphere around. Moreover, his ghost sense was acting out, but in a very unusual way. It was like a silhouette, an outline with empty insides, not a ghost. Danny's lips thinned. He didn't like meeting new creatures, you never know what they are up to. Phantom regretted not taking the 'Fantastic Beasts', he needed it.

The ghost went forward, almost stumbling on a thick root. His heightened senses caught a rustle, along with a sound of hooves hitting the ground.

"Oh, just great," Phantom cursed quietly.

Suddenly two centaurs jumped from behind the trees, pointing their bows at him. One of them stepped forward.

"You are very brave to come here, human."

Danny raised an eyebrow. "I thought your sense of smell is better."

Confused, the centaurs sniffed the air. "You reek with death. Leave immediately, or you'll regret this."

"Believe me, if I could leave, I would have. After I'm done, you won't see me again. I sense something evil out there," Danny pointed in direction where he felt the strange presence. The centaurs looked there, too, even though they didn't have a ghost sense, they smelled a tiny trim.

"This is not your business. We will deal with the being ourselves. Last warning."

"I am Daniel Phantom. And I am a close friend of Clockwork."

"Why would the Time Master pay attention to the likes of you?"

"It's not like you have daily chats with him," Danny deadpanned, crossing his hands. "Hey, Stopwatch, give a signal, would you?"

Something fell on his head. Phantom yelped and looked at the pocket watch, which were the very thing what fell on him and later on the ground.

"Ha, ha, I hope you are laughing your ass off, Old Man," Danny said, hissing in pain and rubbing his sore place.

The centaurs stepped away. The man in front of them wasn't wielding a wand, neither they smelled any other presence. No one could summon an object like that. The beasts looked at each other in surprise.

"Fine, you may do what you want. But if you violate our order, we will shoot you on sight and stomp on your corpse."

"Ta," Danny waved his hand before he saw them stomp away. 'What charming fellows,' he thought.

Phantom went forward. Deeper and deeper into the woods, orienting by the ghost sense. The path became almost nonexistent, and then disappeared completely. But for the ghost it wasn't of any concern. Then he saw something silvery gleaming on the ground. Phantom kneeled and touched the puddle. It was thick, and trickled down from his fingers, that's why he wore gloves. Danny wasn't enthusiastic, however, because it was a unicorn blood.

"We are dealing with a rare bastard," he muttered angrily, before getting up.

Where was the blood, there was its former owner. Indeed, soon he got to the small opening, where the roots hadn't reached. It was the unicorn all right, and it was dead. Its long, slender legs were stuck out at odd angles where it had fallen and its mane was spread pearly-white on the dark leaves. There was someone else - a hooded figure, which was busy consuming the blood. Danny grimaced in disgust. Even vampires didn't drink the unicorn blood. Maybe because they didn't need an 'immortality'. Suddenly Phantom saw something or rather heard a girlish scream.

"I can't believe I'm stuck in here," Malfoy complained. "And with you two, no less."

"Need I remind you that we are here only because of you?" Harry asked as Ellie snorted.

"Yeah, you shouldn't have scared poor Neville. And I doubt you ratted us because of altruistic reasons" she added.

Both boys looked at her. "Hey, you try being with Hermione and not start to use smart words."

Fang suddenly whined, getting everyone's attention. Malfoy started looking around, Harry looked at the dog in confusion, and Ellie saw something gleaming. As her father, who by a certain turn of events wasn't far away, she looked closer at the silvery spot. And she also realized what it was immediately, it's not like someone would melt silver in the forest. Besides, they saw it before.

"You poor thing," she mumbled.

"I guess we are going there," Harry added, receiving a nod from his sister.

They went forward, followed by Fang. Draco had to follow, he didn't want to remain alone.

"Why are you going even further?!" He asked in exasperation.

Unknowingly to him, both siblings smirked at each other. Yeah, they wanted him to be scared. Soon they got to the place, and faced the same scene as Danny.

"AAAAAAAAAARGH!"

Malfoy let out a terrible scream and bolted, and so did Fang. The hooded figure raised its head and looked right at Harry, unicorn blood was dribbling down its front. It got to its feet and came swiftly toward Harry, he couldn't move for fear. Then a pain like he'd never felt before pierced his head; it was as though his scar were on fire. Half blinded, he staggered backward. The pain in Harry's head was so bad he fell to his knees. Ellie was about to protect her brother, but then a green blast hit the creature and made it fly several meters away.

"Stay away from my children, you bastard!"


	17. Chapter XVI: Reveal

Everyone turned in direction of the voice, including the creature, which got back on its feet, or whatever it had beneath the black robes. Phantom stood tall a few meters away, his deathly green eyes shining brightly and his stark hair flowing slightly. His right palm was emitting a green smoke of the same shade, indicating that an ecto beam was fired a few seconds ago. Danny's glare alone was enough to vaporize the creature in front of him.

The kids meanwhile stared at the scene in shock. Harry was still grimacing in pain, but it hurt lesser than before. His vision was still blurry, but Ellie's eyes were wide as saucers. How did her father get there and how did he know they were there? But she quickly came to her senses, realizing that it could get nasty very quickly. Ellie grabbed her brother, before using her free hand to pull Draco with her behind the thick roots. The blonde was stunned yet again at how strong the girl was. He, along with Ellie, looked out from their cover, while Harry was breathing shakily.

Danny caught the movement with an edge of his eye and smirked. Smart girl. He then looked at the creature, and it suddenly was surrounded by the black smoke, which started to move away. Phantom narrowed his eyes and swiped his arm. A solid green wall appeared in front of the black cloud, and the creature hit it, not being able to escape.

"You are not going anywhere," Danny growled.

The being was silent, only eyeing the man in front of it from under the hood. Phantom charged another beam, now more powerful. He fired and the creature flew off to the side in a cloud of smoke. The blast hit the tree and left a scorch mark, along with a big crack. The creature then lunged forward, but Phantom sidestepped and kicked the center of the cloud, using his inhuman strength. The creature wheezed and flew back, hitting another tree.

A pale hand came from inside the black sleeve, holding a wand. Danny heard a croaking voice, which said an incantation. Red sparks flew out of the wand, but Phantom made a shield. He charged another beam and fired at the same second he dispersed the green wall. The hooded figure protected itself with a Protego.

"Oh, you think you are so smart?" Danny asked, before his eyes glowed blue.

This time a blue beam was expulsed from his palm. The temperature around dropped drastically, and the ground beneath the beam was covered in a thin layer of ice. When it hit the magical shield, a torrent of icy wind went around the block. The ice blue ray was very bright, probably as bright as a powerful Lumos. The creature lunged to the side and repeated the attempt in close range. Since Phantom didn't have enough time to disperse the strong beam and react, he could only prevent the being from getting close enough. It tried to claw his eyes out, but they suddenly started to emmit the green smoke. Then double blast came from the eyes and sent the creature away.

Danny jumped on his feet and looked at the smoking enemy, who got up again, with a little stumble.

"Are you done cosplaying a Sith? How about showing your face?" Phantom said as his clenched hand glowed again.

The creature took out a wand again and rasped a killing curse. Danny yawned and made an energy shield with his free hand.

"C'mon, you have to be more creative," Phantom mocked, before being attacked from the side.

He jumped away in the last second, avoiding another green spell. The being raised its wand again.

"Avada Kedavra!" A rasping voice sounded from under the hood.

Phantom fired another blast and their beams intertwined in the center, before causing a minor explosion. Who knew that the ectoenergy and the killing curse didn't mix well? Opening his eyes after the flash, Danny noticed that the being decided to get away while he wasn't looking.

"Flames," Phantom cursed.

Suddenly he heard a metallic clang. In a split second Danny raised his hand and grabbed a crossbow bolt as it was about to pierce his head.

"I didn't know you use such things, guys," the ghost said, snapping the bolt and thinking that that were centaurs. "How about showing yourself?"

But that weren't centaurs. A huge figure of Hagrid came from behind the trees, finishing the load of his crossbow. His thick eyebrows were creased downwards as he was glaring at the stark haired man.

"Stay where you're," the giant said.

Phantom calmly raised his hands. "I mean no harm. And there is also a Dementor wannabe roaming around and sucking unicorn blood."

Hagrid didn't lower his crossbow, but Ron's ginger head peaked from behind him and his eyes widened.

"Mr. Phantom?"

"Sup, Ron. What an unexpected meeting," Danny commented with a smirk. "Hey, kiddos, you can come out now."

In a split second Ellie got to him and hugged, even though the confusion was clear on her face.

"What are you doing here, Daddy?" she asked.

"Well, ask your mother. She can be quite persuasive. Where is Harry?"

Ellie pointed in direction of their hideout, telling about the pain her brother was feeling. Danny strolled forward, but Hagrid's voice made him turn around.

"What'd ya want with 'im?" He asked.

"He is my son, and I have the full right to check his health."

Hagrid was caught off guard by that statement, even if Ellie calling him Dad was a dead giveaway. By the time he realized what was going on, Phantom was already near Harry. The boy's pain eased considerably, so he was taking slow breaths, rubbing his still stinging place with closed eyes. Smiling slightly, Danny kneeled near him, ignoring Draco, who was watching the man warily, making a step away.

"What's up, champ?" Phantom asked.

Harry's eyes snapped open and the boy stared in shock at the ghost. "Dad?!"

Danny grinned and patted him on shoulder. "You alright, Harry? Ellie told me that you were hurt."

"Y-yeah, I'm fine now, I think. The scar hurt really badly. What are you doing here?"

"Better question. What are YOU doing here, young man?" Phantom's look turned serious.

Harry was about to respond, but Danny stopped him. "No, no, I don't want to know!" The ghost said, before standing up.

He then turned to Hagrid, who by then got closer. "Now, please explain WHY in the name of the Ancients my children are in the MOST DANGEROUS PLACE ON THIS ISLAND?!" Phantom raised his echoing voice as his eyes flashed brighter.

Everyone shivered, as a wave of fear flushed over them. Even his kids never saw him like that.

"Daddy, that's not Hagrid's idea," Ellie argued.

"Yeah, and its still better than being shackled," Ron muttered, before shivering.

That wasn't the proper phrase to say, Harry realized. But Danny didn't react to this, on the contrary, he took a deep breath, running a hand through his stark hair.

"And what was so horrific that got you a basical death sentence?" He asked, calm to the shivers of others.

"I was with 'em," Hagrid argued.

"Not to offend but you only have a crossbow. And you have apparently splitted in two groups. In a monster infested forest."

Hagrid's head fell. Yes, it was his mistake.

"Dad, he just wanted to catch that thing before it could get away," Harry argued. "We should have given a signal."

"AND be eaten by that time," Phantom sighed. "Everyone does mistakes, I guess. You haven't answered my question."

"Well..." Ellie started.

"It was a dragon," Draco blurted, causing Danny to turn to the blonde. Behind the stark haired man, others were throwing daggers at him, daring the brat to say one more word.

However, Malfoy was more concerned about the look Phantom himself was giving him. It was like the ghost was staring right into his soul without making a single blink. Then Danny looked back at his kids, fixing the collar of his black clothes nonchalantly.

"I hope you at least took precautions. Dragons are quite unpredictable."

Everyone stared at the man with dropped jaws.

"Do you know what I REALLY want to do? To have a little chat with the Headmaster," he smiled sweetly.

Oh, that wasn't going to be pretty.

The group started to walk back from the forest. Phantom unconsciously took the lead, his confident posture making him seem confident in directions. He was sure that he needed to go south, and that the south was in that direction. And since Hagrid didn't note that they didn't go where they needed, it was indeed right. Or maybe the giant was too busy curiously observing the man in front of him. Phantom surely wasn't what Hagrid imagined after the children's description. Even Ron never saw him like that, not to mention Malfoy and Neville. Ellie was the one who broke the awkward silence.

"So...Dad...how did you know we are here?" She asked.

"I have good informers, try to guess whom."

"The ghosts," Harry said in realization.

"You got that right. Nice fellows, even though they tend to get overexcited from time to time."

"Like they can be of any use," Draco mumbled quietly. To the surprise of the unknowing, Phantom heard it.

"I wouldn't say, Mr. Malfoy. They were just unfortunate enough to remain immaterial. But ghosts have ears, and can listen when they need to."

"How did you know my name?" Malfoy asked.

"Oh, I got letters, your name was usually near the words 'nasty jerk'. Besides, you are an image of your father."

Draco narrowed his eyes at Harry, who whistled innocently. Then he realized the latter part of the phrase.

"You have met him?" The blonde asked.

"Yeah, back in good ol' times when he was a Death Eater and tried to kill me. No offense taken, by the way, it was too much fun to mess him up."

"He wasn't a Death Eater."

Danny shrugged nonchalantly. He really didn't care much about who exactly he was beating back then. They didn't look like simple postmen, anyway.

"Were ya fightin' in a war?" Hagrid found the courage to ask. He was for some reason unnerved by Phantom's mere presence.

"No, I wasn't. I could care less about the world which basically threw me at the street," Danny snapped, clearly showing that he wasn't eager for a conversation.

His children stared wide eyed at their father's reaction. He never actually shared any details about his partial seclusion from the Wizarding world. He never told them about its existence until Hogwarts, for goodness sake. Phantom didn't seem like he wanted to continue the conversation about the topic. They soon went out of the forest. After assuring Hagrid that they would get to the castle themselves, the rest of the group went there. Malfoy hurried to get into his dorm, while Neville didn't want to leave alone.

"Daddy, did you use legillimency on Draco in the forest?" Ellie suddenly asked.

"I'm pleasantly surprised that you know the term. But no, I didn't. AND you ARE in trouble. Wait before your mother finds out."

At that both children grew pale. Phantom just dusted his clothes with a serious expression. "Get back to your dorms, everyone."

Danny himself turned around and walked off, his eyes glowing brightly. Now to have a chat with Dumbledore, his presence was not a secret anymore. Once he was near the staircase leading to the Headmaster's office, he simply phased through without telling the password. Phantom went up the staircase, despite the fact that it was moving on its own. He turned invisible at first, and phased inside. Danny saw that the Heads of the Houses were sitting near Dumbledore, discussing casual things: exams, the making of anti-cheating quills, etc. Phantom took a cane out of nowhere and knocked on the shelf.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

He turned visible, crossing his hands, as the Professors jumped from their seats. However, Dumbledore remained where he was, and Severus seemingly relaxed at seeing his friend, even if he was confused as heck.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?!" McGonagall asked threateningly, pointing her wand at the ghost.

"Easy there, lady. I'm just here to share a few words with the old man behind you."

"Really? Well, I'm here to listen," Dumbledore said calmly, while most of the Professors looked at him incredulously.

"Albus, he is a trespasser!" The Griffindor head tried to reason.

"And he is probably the one we have been looking for," the Headmaster responded.

"AND he is rather pissed off," Phantom added as he slowly approached them. "Pray tell, why I have just found the children in the forest?" He asked, the threatening tone evident in his calm voice.

"Our rules forbid going there, good sir," Dumbledore smiled. "Lemon drop?"

The small candy cracked in his hand as Phantom's eyes started to emit the deathly glow.

"I'm not in the mood for the games," he growled, leaning against the table. The Professors pointed their wands at him, while the Headmaster remained calm. "If your rules forbid doing so, who is that moron who decided it was a good idea to send my kids out there?!"

Everyone blinked. Never before the parent just banged down the door of the Headmaster's office and shouted at him. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in curiosity. There were only two siblings on the detention, and that fact led to the only possible conclusion.

"Am I speaking with Daniel Phantom?" He asked with the same grandfatherly expression.

"Yes, it's me," Danny narrowed his eyes and let go of the table, standing straight. "And you have yet to answer my question."

"They were under supervision."

"SUPERVISION?! Oh, yes, that's quite an argument, how stupid of me!"

"Please, calm down, sir," Flitwick squeaked.

"I am calm. My wife would have already burned down this room, so praise Merlin it is just me."

"I understand your anger, Mr. Phantom, but we have everything under control."

Dumbledore really shouldn't have said that. The fire in the torches turned green, like when the ghosts passed them, turning the flames into blue color.

"Under control you say? Is killing my son and daughter a part of your plan?" He said sarcastically. "Was sending a bloodthirsty being out there so it could drink the unicorn's blood a part of it as well?!"

At that, Dumbledore had no retort. The old man's expression turned serious and thoughtful.

"And how do you know that?" McGonagall asked. "What were you doing out there?"

"Minerva, please."

"Oh, what I was doing there?" Danny looked at the Professor. "I don't know, maybe looking for my children's safety. What you are supposed to do while they are here. I wasn't sure about coming to this place, but now I see that it wasn't in vain."

"And what made you come here?" Dumbledore pried.

"Attempt to kill Harry, I'm not going to let the one who did this roam around the castle freely."

And now they came to the point which the Headmaster was eager to learn about. And he wasn't the only one.

"You were the one who became a father to the boy, I take it?"

Phantom looked at Dumbledore strangely. "Have you realized that only now? Yes."

"How did it happen?"

Danny supposed he needed to cool down, indeed, so he decided to answer on an off topic question. "Well, what would have you done if you found a four years old, dressed in rags, with bruises and scars, happy to eat even a tiny piece of chocolate? Is that much of a surprise that I decided to give him a loving family? He lives like a prince now, even if none of us wants to live in the Palace."

"I told you, Albus, it was cruel to leave Potter to the Dursleys," Minerva said soberly, as Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw Heads sobbed. "They are disgusting to say the least."

"Is that a voice of common sense I hear?" Danny put a hand to his ear.

"Who are you, Mr. Phantom?" Dumbledore continued.

"Do you need a title or my origins? Because you are getting none. You got me talking. You do realize that I can sue the hell out of you for putting Harry and Danielle in danger?"

That earned several small gasps. Snape meanwhile rolled his eyes, calmly sitting on a chair.

"I'm sure we can figure out another way. There is no need for judgemental salvation," Dumbledore tried to reason.

"Maybe there is. Maybe you can lift your lazy ass off this chair and find a potential murderer?"

"How can you speak that way to Professor Dumbledore?" Professor Sprout asked in shock.

"This isn't the person to be polite to someone he dislikes," Severus put in, causing everyone to look at him.

"You know me too well, Sev," Danny smirked.

At that he could almost hear the sound of jaws hitting the floor. Even Dumbledore was surprised at that development.

"You...know each other?" McGonagall asked.

"For over ten years," Snape shrugged. "Not sure if it's a curse or something better."

"I feel offended," Danny deadpanned. "Still, I intend to go through with my threat, Headmaster. And believe me, you are going to lose the hearing and your reputation will be ruined," he said in a voice that left no doubts that it was going to happen like he said.

"What exactly are you asking us to do?" Dumbledore enquired.

"Asking? I am demanding. I don't care how you find the convict, I want him to be found. I have stayed here long enough, and I can't any longer because the Administratum needs my immediate presence. But if something else happens, I won't repeat again."

"I think I have an idea," Severus got attention of everyone present. "I can brew the truth serum, and then we will check who is guilty."

"Nice idea, Sev, but it would take a month," Danny put a hand on his chin.

"You have just said that you don't care how we do it," Snape deadpanned.

"We can buy it," Dumbledore offered.

As he said this, a scoop of golden coins fell on his table.

"Keep the change," Phantom turned around and walked off, waving his hand nonchalantly.

Near the door Danny looked back at everyone. "I expect results," Phantom said coldly as his eyes glowed.

With that he left the room. Every professor was silent, it all just happened so quickly. Dumbledore picked up a single coin and then noticed it wasn't a galleon. On one side was the image reminiscent of the burning crown wrapped by vines with thorns, with strange letters on the coin's edge. On the other side was a profile image of Phantom, with even more letters below. The Headmaster was not a goblin, but he guessed it was a pure gold.

"You are very interesting, Mr. Phantom," he mumbled.


	18. Announcing the thing everyone hates

It's starting to get too frequent for my liking. Two things, guys. One, I don't know how to finish this story. So I'll sadly leave it to you to think everything up. There are a lot of cringey moments I'd like to remove, burn and forget. We come to the second thing. Basically, I'm making a sequel I wanted to write ever since starting this one. There I'll fix the mistakes made here.

But I'm still in two minds about picking the book. So, democracy it is. Vote on either the Goblet of Fire or Order of the Phoenix. Each of those has own unique features. The first one will include many details from Danny's past. There will be Sam and Tucker even. In case of the Order, Danny is gonna be a teacher. Now imagine if Danny is gonna torture Umbridge in the unique way, as well as bashing the Ministry. Of course, I'll make some plot changes so you won't get bored. Sorcerer's stone didn't give me many opportunities.


End file.
